In the past few months, Bengaluru police have been on the trail of counterfeiters who sell everything from fakes of high-end fashion to baby products. In their search, the police have shut down a phony Louis Vuitton store, a bogus gas station and a soap making unit.
Since the start of this year, the Central Crime Branch's fraud and misappropriation wing have booked 23 cases under the copyright act, a spike compared to 53 cases booked in 2016. The city police are cracking down on counterfeiters following complaints from genuine manufacturing companies as well as tip-offs from informers.
Investigating officers said that Bengaluru is slowly turning into a hub for counterfeits as the demand for goods, especially high-end footwear, clothing and accessories is high. In some cases, the fakes are brought in from other states but a number of manufacturing units that specialise in copies have also opened up in the city.
On January 21, during a raid at Mamulpet, police found a shop selling fake bags, purses and belts of designer French fashion brand Louis Vuitton. "We seized women's handbags and some purses, which the shopkeeper had priced at up to Rs 50,000 a piece. Fake goods worth Rs2.5 lakh were confiscated," said an officer of the fraud and misappropriation unit.
Police have unearthed about a dozen illegal units making copies of clothing brands Diesel, Gas, Levis and US Polo. Raids at units in Kamakshipalya and Srirampura yielded clothes worth over Rs2 crore, including finished pieces ready to be sent to shops in Bengaluru. "Badges, zippers and buttons are created locally and low-quality denim is used, but the clothes are sold as branded ones. The common man buying from non-branded outlets won't know the difference and will take home a fake for a fat price," an officer said.
Police sources said they had also received information about products like shampoo, face cream, powder and toiletries being formulated and bottled illegally and passed off as well-known cosmetic brands. Sleuths raided a house in Ulsoor on February 10 where liquid handwash and shampoo were being made using cheap chemicals and packaged to resemble well-known brands like Lakme and Ponds. One person was arrested and goods worth Rs5 lakh seized. Baby products are also being counterfeited, which police say is most worrying.
Cases relating to fake fuel are also booked under the same provisions of the Copyright Act. On February 8, police followed a tip and found an illegal autorickshaw gas filling station in Timber Yard Layout on Mysore Road. They seized 47 domestic LPG cylinders, which were being used to fill gas in autorickshaws. "The facility was functioning for over six months. The fraudsters illegally procured LPG cylinders meant for homes from agencies and used basic machinery to hazardously fill small amounts of gas in autos," said an investigating officer who was involved in the raid.
Since the start of this year, the Central Crime Branch's fraud and misappropriation wing have booked 23 cases under the copyright act, a spike compared to 53 cases booked in 2016. The city police are cracking down on counterfeiters following complaints from genuine manufacturing companies as well as tip-offs from informers.
Investigating officers said that Bengaluru is slowly turning into a hub for counterfeits as the demand for goods, especially high-end footwear, clothing and accessories is high. In some cases, the fakes are brought in from other states but a number of manufacturing units that specialise in copies have also opened up in the city.
On January 21, during a raid at Mamulpet, police found a shop selling fake bags, purses and belts of designer French fashion brand Louis Vuitton. "We seized women's handbags and some purses, which the shopkeeper had priced at up to Rs 50,000 a piece. Fake goods worth Rs2.5 lakh were confiscated," said an officer of the fraud and misappropriation unit.
Police have unearthed about a dozen illegal units making copies of clothing brands Diesel, Gas, Levis and US Polo. Raids at units in Kamakshipalya and Srirampura yielded clothes worth over Rs2 crore, including finished pieces ready to be sent to shops in Bengaluru. "Badges, zippers and buttons are created locally and low-quality denim is used, but the clothes are sold as branded ones. The common man buying from non-branded outlets won't know the difference and will take home a fake for a fat price," an officer said.
Police sources said they had also received information about products like shampoo, face cream, powder and toiletries being formulated and bottled illegally and passed off as well-known cosmetic brands. Sleuths raided a house in Ulsoor on February 10 where liquid handwash and shampoo were being made using cheap chemicals and packaged to resemble well-known brands like Lakme and Ponds. One person was arrested and goods worth Rs5 lakh seized. Baby products are also being counterfeited, which police say is most worrying.
Cases relating to fake fuel are also booked under the same provisions of the Copyright Act. On February 8, police followed a tip and found an illegal autorickshaw gas filling station in Timber Yard Layout on Mysore Road. They seized 47 domestic LPG cylinders, which were being used to fill gas in autorickshaws. "The facility was functioning for over six months. The fraudsters illegally procured LPG cylinders meant for homes from agencies and used basic machinery to hazardously fill small amounts of gas in autos," said an investigating officer who was involved in the raid.