Authorities in Mumbai seize fake printer goods worth ₹83.83 lakh ($101,000/ €91,600) in Chembur raid.
Mumbai police have seized counterfeit printer cartridges and related accessories worth ₹83.83 lakh ($101,000/ €91,600) in a raid on a shop in the eastern suburb of Chembur.
Acting on a tip-off from brand protection firm E.I.P.R. India, officers from Tilak Nagar Police Station discovered counterfeit items bearing logos of HP, Epson and Canon. The haul included ink, toner refills, holograms, packaging and price labels.
A tempo van, laden with fake goods, was also confiscated. The shop’s owner, Bhimraj Eknath Ramraje, had rented the premises to Narayan Karman Vaviya, 51, four months earlier. Mr Vaviya admitted during questioning that he was running the operation.
Hambirrao Gyanu Sathe, a senior investigation officer at E.I.P.R., lodged the complaint, leading to charges under Sections 51 and 63 of India’s Copyright Act.
Police said the investigation was continuing and further arrests were possible. Counterfeit printer supplies have been a growing concern in India, with HP reporting the seizure of nearly 440,000 fake cartridges nationwide between November 2022 and October 2023.
The details were first reported by the Free Press Journal.
