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Delhi Police on Thursday busted a major counterfeit jeans racket in northwest Delhi’s Lawrence Road Industrial Area, arresting four and seizing large quantities of fake branded apparel, labels, and machinery. The gang produced and sold counterfeit jeans of top international brands such as Levi’s, ZARA, and Calvin Klein (CK).

The arrests were made by the District Investigation Unit (DIU) of the North-West District following multiple raids conducted on February 3 at several premises in the Lawrence Road Industrial Area. The accused has been identified as Md. Shadique Anwar (21) of Azadpur, Roshan Jha (25) of Shakurpur village, Rajesh Gupta (43) of Ashok Vihar Phase-I, and Sajan Kumar (34) of Lawrence Road Industrial Area.

Additional Commissioner of Police (North-West District) Bhisham Singh said the operation exposed a well-organised network making and selling counterfeit branded jeans as genuine products. “A large quantity of fake jeans, labels, tags, and sewing machines has been seized. Such rackets cheat consumers and cause significant losses to legitimate brand owners,” he said. He added that further investigation is underway to trace the supply chain and possible links to other markets.

Police said the action followed a complaint regarding the illegal manufacturing of counterfeit jeans and brand labels using sewing machines. Considering the seriousness of the offence, a special police team was formed.

During a raid at a shop located on the fifth floor of a building on Lawrence Road, police recovered 580 counterfeit Levi’s jeans from the possession of Md. Shadique Anwar. In another raid at a top-floor unit in the same area, the team seized 910 Levi’s jeans, 285 CK jeans, and 25 incomplete CK jeans from Roshan Jha.

New Delhi: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has dismantled more than 200 website domains associated with an India-linked transnational criminal network accused of distributing fentanyl-laced counterfeit medicines in the United States. The enforcement action was carried out under an initiative named Operation Meltdown.

According to authorities, the illegal online pharmacy network has been linked to at least six fatal overdose cases and four non-fatal overdose incidents in the US. Investigations revealed that the websites processed hundreds of thousands of orders involving diverted pharmaceutical products and counterfeit prescription drugs. The platforms allegedly supplied medications without requiring valid medical prescriptions, violating regulatory safeguards designed to ensure patient safety.

Officials stated that customers using these websites often believed they were purchasing genuine prescription medicines from authorised pharmacies. However, several of the tablets sold through the platforms reportedly contained fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid widely associated with overdose deaths and severe health complications when misused or unknowingly consumed.

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DEA Administrator Terrance Cole highlighted that international drug trafficking groups are increasingly exploiting digital platforms and healthcare supply chains to distribute counterfeit and dangerous pharmaceutical products. He warned that illegal online pharmacies frequently mimic legitimate healthcare providers, making it difficult for consumers to identify fraudulent operations.

The DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division has been investigating the criminal network since 2022. Beginning 27 January, multiple enforcement actions were conducted across the United States, leading to the arrest of four individuals connected to the operation. Authorities also issued five Immediate Suspension Orders and one Order to Show Cause against entities suspected of being part of the illegal distribution network.

Under US regulatory requirements, controlled medications can only be dispensed by pharmacies when supported by valid prescriptions issued for legitimate medical purposes. Investigators found that the targeted websites bypassed these legal requirements and used professionally designed interfaces and US-based web addresses to gain consumer trust.

Officials further revealed that counterfeit pills circulating through the network were frequently manufactured using fentanyl or methamphetamine. Health authorities cautioned that consumption of such falsified medicines can lead to serious adverse health outcomes, treatment failure, and death.

The DEA has stated that it is coordinating with Indian law enforcement agencies to trace and dismantle the criminal infrastructure responsible for producing and distributing counterfeit medicines. The case is currently being prosecuted by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, according to a recent media report by ThePrint.

Authorities indicated that investigations are ongoing to identify additional members of the trafficking network and to track associated financial transactions and supply chains linked to the illegal pharmaceutical trade.

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The global trade in counterfeit goods remains a major threat to economies, consumers and supply chains worldwide, according to a new OECD–EUIPO report. Based on the latest available data, counterfeit goods accounted for an estimated USD 467 billion in global trade in 2021. Since then, the same underlying patterns and risks have continued to drive the global counterfeit trade.

Mapping Global Trade in Fakes 2025: Global Trends and Enforcement Challenges, the fourth joint study by the OECD and EUIPO, provides a detailed picture of the global counterfeit trade and offers practical guidance for policymakers to protect consumers, support legitimate businesses, and uphold the integrity of international trade.

Clothing, footwear, and leather goods remained among the most affected sectors, accounting jointly for 62% of seized counterfeit goods (see figure below). At the same time, the report finds that counterfeiters are expanding into new sectors reaching nearly every aspect of daily life. Hazardous fakes, including automotive parts, medicines, cosmetics, toys and food were increasingly prevalent, posing serious risks to consumer health and safety.

“Illicit trade threatens public safety, undermines intellectual property rights and hampers economic growth, and the risks could increase as counterfeiters leverage new technologies and techniques to avoid detection” OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann said. “The OECD’s continued monitoring and mapping of the global trade in fakes shows the need for authorities to adopt new tools and step up their cooperation and information sharing.”

While China remains the dominant source of counterfeit goods, accounting for 45% of all reported seizures in 2021, other countries from Asia, the Middle East and Latin America are also involved in counterfeit trade.

The report also highlights how trade routes are evolving. Counterfeiters are increasingly using international waterways and adopting “localisation” strategies, shipping unassembled parts or packaging to assemble fake products closer to end markets, further complicating detection.

Counterfeiters are becoming savvy at quickly producing fake versions of in-demand products, advertising online and taking advantage of less scrutinised shipping methods; around 65 percent of seizures involve small parcels and mail, showing a shift toward distribution channels that offer speed, convenience, and lower risk of inspection.

To tackle this worldwide threat, the report calls for continued monitoring and more coordinated responses, including real-time information sharing among customs, police, financial intelligence units, and market surveillance authorities. Stronger cooperation and exchange of best practices among trade intermediaries, postal and shipping services, free trade zones, and logistics firms, is essential in preventing the misuse of their networks.

For more information on OECD work on counterfeit and pirated goods, visit https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/sub-issues/counterfeit-and-pirated-goods.html.

For further information, journalists are invited to contact Yumiko Sugaya in the OECD Media Office (+33 1 45 24 97 00).

Working with over 100 countries, the OECD is a global policy forum that promotes policies to preserve individual liberty and improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world.

New Delhi: Bought an antacid from a small kiosk and found it to be ineffective? Or a toothpaste that tasted different? It turns out that the products could be fake. Delhi Police crime branch has busted a large-scale racket involved in the production and distribution of fake consumer goods including antacids like ENO, which were being sold to unsuspecting people from small shops in different localities in Delhi.

According to police, six individuals have been apprehended, and two manufacturing units busted following a series of raids across multiple locations in the capital.

The accused were procuring packages of ENO, Sensodyne toothpaste or even cigarettes like Gold Flake and filling them with random powders, paste or cheap tobacco and making big money.

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Acting on complaints from these brands and tip-off from sources, a police team launched operations targeting locations in Rohini, Bawana, and Mazri Karala. Raids were first conducted at Vijay Vihar and Kashmiri Gate on Aug 6, followed by further operations on Aug 10 and 11 at Mazri-Karala and Sector-3, Bawana, respectively.

“During these operations, large quantities of counterfeit oral health products, antacids, and tobacco items were recovered, along with machinery and packaging material used in their production. Seized items included thousands of fake product units, packing boxes, stickers, caps, filling machines, heat guns, and over 2,500 boxes of counterfeit cigarettes,” said DCP (crime) Harsh Indora.

“They were also allegedly using fake powder and chemicals to make the antacids,” DCP Indora added.

Police said the main accused, Onam Jain, a resident of Ghaziabad, has been a habitual offender and admitted to running the illegal trade since 2022. His interrogation led to the arrest of five co-accused involved in manufacturing, supplying, and distributing the counterfeit goods.

All six have been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Copyright Act.

Further investigations are ongoing to trace the full extent of the network, including suppliers and buyers outside Delhi.

Unearthing a fake engine oil racket operating from a godown in Bhabaat area of Zirakpur, the police arrested a resident of Peer Muchalla on Saturday night. The raid, which was conducted in association with the legal metrology department on the directions of the Dera Bassi SDM, exposed a well-organised operation in which used engine oil was being repackaged and sold as branded lubricant, officials said.

Cops from Rupnagar were also part of the late-night raid at the godown number 3,700 in Bhabaat. The godown has been sealed. A forensic team was also called to the spot to conduct a scientific examination of the seized oil samples.

The arrested person found operating the unit has been identified as Sandeep Kaushik. Police officials said the accused failed to produce any licence, pollution control clearance or other mandatory permissions. “There was absolutely no documentation. He was running the operation illegally,” an official said.

Investigators are now tracing the network of shops and distributors to whom the counterfeit oil was being supplied. Preliminary findings suggest that the fake engine oil was being supplied extensively to motor markets in the Tricity and also to rural areas of Punjab and Haryana through independent mechanics.

The investigation revealed that used black engine oil was procured at throwaway prices from scrap dealers and vehicle service centres. The oil was then mixed with chemicals and colouring agents to make it appear fresh and new. The refined oil was filled into plastic bottles and sold under the labels of well-known lubricant brands.

Thousands of fake labels and packaging materials of reputed brands were recovered from the godown. The packaging was so convincing that it was virtually impossible for an ordinary customer to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit products.

Zirakpur ASP Gazalpreet Kaur said the police had received a tip-off. “A large quantity of oil was recovered. No licence, permission or record of procurement and sale was found. The investigation has revealed that old black engine oil was being recoloured, branded and supplied to motor markets. The godown has been sealed,” she said.

The operation was carried out in the presence of assistant controller Pritpal Singh and ASI Balraj Singh.