Fake cosmetic goods bearing the name of branded products like lakme, Ponds, Fair & lovely, Vaseline, etc, may have filled the market if the report of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence is believed. The agency seized imported spurious cosmetics worth over Rs5 crore from the Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Tughlaqabad on Friday.
Sources said the fake products were imported from China. The importer identified as 31-year-old Yogesh Gera, who is a resident of North-west Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh, has been arrested. “Since the customs department does not have its own lock-up, he was lodged in the lock-up of the local police station,” said the official.
On a special tip-off, customs officials at ICD Tughlaqabad examined the goods in five containers imported by M/s Sunshine Impex and found the fake cosmetic products bore the name of famous brands, said an official to The Pioneer. Moreover, the imported goods carried “made in India” tag.
“The goods found in the containers were cosmetic items of various brands like Hindustan lever’s lakme, Ponds, Fair & lovely, Vaseline, Proctor and Gamble’s Olay and products of Garnier, Revlon, l’oreal, lotus, bearing ‘Made in India’ mark. The brand holders of all these products, who are registered under Intellectual Property Rules, 2007, were called for examination of the said branded goods and they have certified that all the goods are counterfeit and not manufactured in their Indian plants, thereby violating section 9C of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. The market value of the seized goods is Rs5,41,22,016,” said the customs official.
Samples of seized cosmetics have been sent for forensic examination. The accused, Yogesh Gera, has been arrested under Sections 132 and 135 1(a) and 1(b) of the Customs Act, 1962, which are cognizable and non-bailable.