Duplicate FMCG goods worth ₹20L seized in Ahmedabad, 3 held

Ahmedabad: The city crime branch has busted a counterfeit FMCG products racket and arrested three persons allegedly involved in manufacturing and distributing duplicate branded goods worth over ₹20.3 lakh. Officials said on Sunday that the arrested accused were Arun Gupta (36), a cab driver from Gota-Chandlodia, his brother Sachin Gupta (38), a driver from Chandlodia, and Sujeet Poddar (30), a businessman from Ghatlodia.According to crime branch officers, the trio were in a car when intercepted near Sola Bhagwat Vidyapith. Checks revealed counterfeit Gold Flake and Marlboro cigarettes. Further search and questioning led to more fake products resembling reputed brands including Wagh Bakri Tea, Everest masala, Amul and Sagar ghee, Surf Excel, Ariel, Tide, Harpic, Feviqwik, Sunrise coffee and Eno, officers said.During interrogation, investigators found that Poddar was the alleged kingpin of the operation. “A decoy operation was conducted after inputs suggested duplicate branded goods were being supplied in the city at throwaway prices. Arun and Sachin Gupta worked as mediators on commission basis and were caught while showing the products to our team,” a crime branch officer said.Officers said Poddar either manufactured the duplicate products himself or procured them from another syndicate.“Our investigation led us to two godowns near Gota railway bridge. Large quantities of counterfeit FMCG products were stocked at these godowns. Additional goods worth over ₹15 lakh were seized from there,” another officer said.Police said preliminary findings suggest the accused had been running the racket for a month and a half and had rapidly built a local distribution network.Officers reiterated that counterfeit products pose a serious threat to public health as customers are misled into buying fakes using packaging and branding identical to those of genuine products.Police have registered a case under the Copyright Act at the DCB police station and are investigating deeper.