In a significant crackdown on illegal manufacturing, a joint team from the Sidcul police and the Drugs Department has uncovered an illegal factory in the area producing counterfeit shampoos of well-known international brands. The raid resulted in the arrest of three individuals, with one suspect managing to evade capture. Authorities have recovered fake products and manufacturing equipment valued at approximately ₹15 lakh from the premises.
The operation was initiated following a tip-off received by the police about an illicit factory operating in the Gangotri Enclave Phase-3 area of Sidcul in Haridwar district. Based on the confidential information, a team led by Police Officer Nitesh Sharma and officials from the Drugs Department conducted a raid on a house in the area. Upon entering the premises, one of the suspects fled the scene via the rooftop, but the team successfully apprehended three others, identified as Hasin Ahmed, Shehban, and Mohsin, all of whom are residents of Manglaur, Landaura.
During the search, the police discovered a room filled with a substantial quantity of counterfeit shampoos under the popular brands Clinic Plus and Sunsilk. They also found a shampoo filling machine, raw materials, labels, and empty bottles. The Drug Inspector, Harish Singh, and the company’s legal manager were called to the scene, and they confirmed that all the seized goods were illegal and counterfeit. This confirms that the factory was operating without any authorisation and was producing products that could pose a risk to the public.
Our correspondent reports that during the interrogation, the primary accused, Hasin Ahmed, confessed to running the illegal operation without any valid licence. He admitted that he had no documentation under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act for manufacturing the products, nor did he have any records for the raw materials or labels being used.
Police officer Nitesh Sharma stated that from the site, the team recovered four drums of raw material (approximately 1,350 litres), one shampoo filling machine, 800 empty bottles, 32 cartons of fake shampoo, and a large number of counterfeit labels. A case has been registered against the accused under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Copyright Act, and a search is underway for the fourth suspect who managed to escape.
