Surat : In a significant crackdown on counterfeit goods, Surat police have uncovered a factory manufacturing fake toilet and floor cleaners, along with antiseptic liquids, under the guise of well-known brands. The operation, carried out in the Sarthana area of Varachha, was initiated following a tip-off from Reckitt Benckiser Healthcare India Limited, the company behind renowned home cleaning brands such as Lysol, Harpic, Vanish, and Dettol.
The factory owner, Prakashbhai Mohanbhai Molya, was apprehended during the raid, which revealed a large stockpile of raw materials and finished counterfeit products. The factory was situated alarmingly close to the Sarthana Police Station, Surat raising concerns about the oversight and vigilance of local law enforcement.
The discovery came after Reckitt Benckiser received information about the counterfeit operation approximately a week before the raid. The company, upon learning that a certain Mahadev Creation was producing and selling fake goods under the brand names of Harpic, Dettol, and Lysol, immediately informed Sarthana Police Inspector M.B. Jalan. In response, a police team, accompanied by three company officials, conducted a thorough investigation at the factory located on Canal Road in Sarthana’s Matrushree Compound.
The raid revealed that the factory, operating from a modest sheet shed, was producing large quantities of counterfeit cleaning products. The police found numerous cans labeled with the logos of Harpic, Lysol, and Dettol, along with a variety of empty containers and brand stickers ready for packaging. The sheer volume of goods seized during the operation underscored the scale of the illicit operation.
Specifically, the police confiscated 165 cans of Harpic, each containing five liters, valued at ₹1.65 lakh; 100 cans of Lysol, valued at ₹90,000; and 154 cans of Dettol, valued at ₹84,800. Additionally, 250 empty five-liter cans of Harpic, 130 empty five-liter cans of Lysol, and 125 empty five-liter cans of Dettol were found, alongside an array of brand labels and packaging materials. The total value of the seized goods is estimated to be around ₹4.39 lakh.
The company official, upon verifying the authenticity of the products, filed a complaint against Prakashbhai Mohanbhai Molya at the Sarthana Police Station under the Copyright Act. Molya was promptly arrested and is currently undergoing further interrogation to uncover the extent of the counterfeit operation.
This bust has highlighted significant lapses in local law enforcement, particularly given the factory’s proximity to the Sarthana Police Station. Questions have been raised about how such a large-scale counterfeit operation could have gone unnoticed for so long, and whether more stringent checks are necessary to prevent such illegal activities in the future.
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