Surat: The local police on Friday busted a godown stocked with counterfeit cosmetic products of popular brands including Cetaphil at a commercial complex in Mota Varachha. The raid led to the seizure of fake goods worth over ₹26.50 lakh and the arrest of one person who was allegedly selling these products online.

The operation followed a tip-off received by Nilesh Vaghela, Assistant Manager at Parekh Integrated Services Pvt. Ltd., about counterfeit Cetaphil products being sold from shop B-95 in Sumeru City Mall, Mota Varachha.

During the raid, police recovered 509 bottles of Cetaphil “Oily Skin Cleanser” valued at ₹4.13 lakh and another 476 sticker-less bottles worth ₹3.80 lakh — totalling 993 fake Cetaphil bottles worth around ₹7.93 lakh. Additionally, the team seized 2,328 bottles of counterfeit “Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rise” products valued at ₹18.62 lakh.

Police also confiscated brand stickers, cartons, and other packaging materials used to label and distribute the counterfeit goods, bringing the total value of seized items to ₹26.50 lakh.

The accused, Darshan Himmat Panchani (28), a resident of Matruchhaya Society in Nana Varachha, has been arrested by Utran police.

According to police, Darshan had been running the illegal business for the past three months. He procured raw materials from Mankna village in Kamrej, manufactured and packaged the counterfeit products himself, and got fake brand stickers printed locally in Surat. He then marketed and sold the products through social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook, luring buyers with heavy discounts.

Further investigation is underway to trace the supply chain and identify other possible accomplices involved in the racket. DeshGujarat