The Bengaluru police said they have seized fake products of reputed clothing brands worth Rs 2.09 crore in three separate raids in the past 24 hours.
In the latest crackdown, the police raided godowns in Annapurneshwarinagar and seized 6,790 duplicates of branded clothes valued at Rs 82.48 lakh. The previous day raids resulted in the seizure of such fake products worth Rs 1.27 crore, apart from Rs 56,450 in cash.
The raids on Friday were conducted at Okalipuram and Pappireddypalya (Nagarbavi). Two persons — Subhash and Hithesh — have been arrested so far in these cases, according to S Ravi, additional commissioner of police, crime, Bengaluru police.
"Four more persons are yet to be arrested in connection with these cases...it seems to be a widespread racket," Ravi told the International Business Times India edition and added that there have been 20 such raids in the past four months.
The activities depend on demand-supply dynamics (those manufacturing such products and retailers buying from them), according to him.
The crackdown comes days after the crime branch busted cricket betting rackets in the city.
Duplicate branded clothes Godown in Annapurneshwarinagar and seized 6790 duplicate branded clothes worth Rs 82,48,000/- Accused is Hithesh. pic.twitter.com/w60wOqsFCl
— S Ravi, IPS (@AddlCPCrime) May 13, 2017
Duplicate branded clothes godown raided in Papireddypalya, Nagarbavi, seized 3450 pieces worth Rs 65, 00, 000/- Accused Subash is arrested. pic.twitter.com/nM71s0xNsn
— S Ravi, IPS (@AddlCPCrime) May 12, 2017
Raid on godown at Okalipuram, seized duplicate products of leading clothes brands worth ₹ 61,92,000/- and cash ₹ 56450/- pic.twitter.com/GoYcYmYTnG
— S Ravi, IPS (@AddlCPCrime) May 12, 2017
Those who sell such fake products make a killing, given the price differential between the duplicate ones and the genuine products.
In January, the central crime bureau found illegal units making products using names of clothing brands such as Diesel, Gas, Levis and US Polo, apart from accessories such as bags, purses and belts of French fashion brand Louis Vuitton. The goods were valued at around Rs 2 crore.
"We seized women's handbags and some purses, which the shopkeeper had priced at up to Rs 50,000 a piece," a Bengaluru policeman was quoted as saying by the Times of India in a report on March 8, 2017.