Fake cosmetic manufacturing racket busted in Delhi, kingpin among four held

A fake cosmetic manufacturing racket was busted in northwest Delhi, police said on Tuesday, adding that four men, including the kingpin, were arrested.

The accused have been identified as Neeraj Gupta (40), the mastermind, and his associates Ravi (31), Suresh Kumar Rajput (56), and Dinesh Chandra Sati (54).

They manufactured, packaged, and distributed fake hair removal cream and other fast-moving consumer goods, a police official said. Police seized over 20,000 tubes of fake hair removal cream.

Police raided an illegal unit in Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar in Badli on April 6, where the operation was running in full swing.

“Police busted a fully functional illegal manufacturing unit where counterfeit cosmetic products were made using substandard raw materials and packed in deceptively similar packaging to resemble genuine branded goods,” a senior police officer said.

A case was registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Copyright Act at the Crime Branch police station.

“During the raid, police recovered around 4,000 filled tubes of fake hair removal cream, over 5,500 packed retail units ready for distribution, and nearly 10,000 empty tubes meant for production,” the officer said.

Police also seized hundreds of counterfeit cartons, wrappers, and labels, along with large quantities of raw materials such as potassium thioglycolate, hydrated lime, and wax.

Police also recovered packaging accessories, including thousands of plastic spatulas.

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“Gupta had been running the illegal operation for nearly two years after shifting from small-scale manufacturing to counterfeit branded products for higher profits,” the officer said.

He sourced raw materials locally and supplied finished goods to vendors in local markets as well as nearby states.

Gupta’s associate, Ravi, arranged counterfeit packaging material, while Rajput operated a printing unit in Bawana that produced fake cartons and labels using unauthorised plates.

Meanwhile, Sati supervised the printing facility and assisted in production, the official said.

Police said the racket had a well-established supply chain, and further investigation is underway to identify other suppliers, distributors, and retailers linked to the network.