Delhi Police busts counterfeit engine oil manufacturing, packaging unit

Delhi Police has claimed to have busted an illegal factory manufacturing and packaging counterfeit lubricant oil under the labels of reputed automobile brands with the arrest of its mastermind.

“Around 4,000 litres of counterfeit oil were seized along with machines used for sealing, heating, and labelling. The accused procured raw oil and packaging material from local markets and sold the fake lubricants to workshops and retailers at discounted prices,” a police officer said on Monday.

The accused, Naveen Singhal (50), from Shahdara, was running the factory from a premise in northeast Delhi’s Gokulpuri along with four labourers – all hailing from Uttar Pradesh, he said.

Based on a tip-off, a police team raided the premises in the presence of a representative from a private company and found the large-scale counterfeiting operation.

Police said the unit was engaged in refilling and packaging substandard lubricant oil using duplicate containers, stickers, and holograms of leading brands.

The officer further said that the accused passed stock as genuine or surplus stock. Each month, the racket produced around 8,000 to 10,000 litres of counterfeit oil, earning nearly Rs 5 lakh.

Police said Singhal has been involved in similar illegal trade since 2004 and has three previous cases, including two under the Copyright Act, registered against him in northeast Delhi.

Further investigation is underway, police added.