Mumbai, March 20 (IANS) In a major crackdown on counterfeit branded products, the Mumbai Police have busted an organised racket involved in selling fake mobile accessories in the Ghatkopar area. The police carried out raids and seized counterfeit goods worth approximately Rs 16.33 lakh. Cases have been registered against six shopkeepers for their alleged involvement in the racket.

According to police officials, the action was initiated following specific intelligence inputs about the sale of fake mobile accessories being passed off as products of Apple Inc. The raids were conducted in the Patel Chowk and Niloyog Mall areas of Ghatkopar East, where such items were reportedly being sold openly.

A team from the company also assisted the police during the operation. Acting swiftly on the information, the police devised a strategy and formed six separate teams to conduct simultaneous raids at different locations. This ensured that the accused could not evade action.

During the raids, police recovered a large quantity of counterfeit goods from six shops. The seized items included mobile chargers, adapters, USB cables, mobile covers, back panels, earphones, AirPods, and batteries. Officials stated that the products were designed to closely resemble genuine Apple accessories and were being sold to customers as original items.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the accused were illegally using Apple’s logo and design without any authorisation. The shopkeepers allegedly procured these counterfeit products at low prices and sold them at significantly higher rates by misrepresenting them as authentic branded goods.

Authorised representatives of the company confirmed that all seized items were fake. They also noted that identifying such counterfeit products requires specialised training, as the replicas are often made to closely mimic genuine items.

Following the operation, police have registered cases against all six accused under Sections 51 and 63 of the Copyright Act. The seized goods have been sealed and sent for further examination as part of the ongoing investigation.

Officials said that efforts are underway to identify and apprehend other individuals linked to the racket. They also reiterated that similar drives against counterfeit goods will continue across the city to curb the sale of fake branded products and protect consumer interests.

–IANS

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