The Delhi Police have unearthed a fake manufacturing and distribution racket selling counterfeit clothing and perfumes under the name of a premium brand by arresting an accused, it said on Sunday.
The cops confirmed that they have confiscated around 200 fake products from the possession of the arrested a ccused, identified as Harshit, 29, a resident of Delhi’s Azad Pur.
The matter came to light when a representative of the brand Louis Vuitton alleged that the sale of counterfeit goods was damaging the brand’s reputation and causing major financial losses, said Bhisham Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police.
The officer continued by saying that, on the basis of the statement provided by the complainant, a complaint was registered and a team was dispatched to conduct an inquiry into this case.
During the probe, a team received intel regarding the suspect and laid a trap on the tipped area of Pitampura, which led the team to get their hands on the accused along with the recovery of counterfeit printed shorts, T-shirts, belts, and perfumes, all bearing forged Louis Vuitton branding.
Preliminary investigation into the case revealed that Harshit was working as a manager at the shop and was involved in the distribution of counterfeit products, the senior officer mentioned.
“During interrogation, he disclosed that the illegal manufacturing unit was established last year by Pankaj Manchanda, a resident of Karnal, who is currently out of the country. Manchanda is alleged to be the mastermind behind the racket, overseeing the production and marketing of the fake goods,” the DCP stated.
Furthermore, the fake items were being sold in the market as genuine Louis Vuitton merchandise, with counterfeit labels and tags affixed to the locally manufactured products. The accused had been impersonating himself as an authorized distributor of the brand to lure unsuspecting customers.
“Our team is putting in efforts to trace and apprehend the kingpin of the racket, Pankaj Manchanda,” asserted the DCP further.
Meanwhile, a case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita of the Copyright Act as well as the Trade Marks Act at Maurya Enclave police station.
The police have confirmed that further investigation is ongoing, and more arrests and recoveries are expected as the probe deepens, the DCP stated.