Delhi Police's Crime Branch, Western Range-I, on 3 May 2026 raided a luxury hotel in Vasant Kunj, busting an organised racket selling counterfeit garments and accessories under the cover of a so-called "discount sale" exhibition. The operation led to the arrest of one accused and the recovery of ₹2,87,210 in cash, along with a large volume of fake goods bearing the names of major international and Indian brands.

How the Racket Operated

According to police, the accused set up temporary exhibitions in reputed hotels and convention centres across Delhi and other cities, falsely projecting the events as legitimate discount sales. Customers were shown garments and accessories branded as premium labels — including Peter England, Allen Solly, Mufti, Van Heusen, Jack & Jones, Calvin Klein, Zara, GANT, US Polo, and Aurelia — and misled into believing they were purchasing genuine products at discounted prices.

To project legitimacy, the accused issued professional-looking bills and accepted payments via swipe machines and UPI platforms including Paytm, PhonePe, and Google Pay. Products were often described as "export surplus" to deflect suspicion. Heavy discounts and manufactured urgency were used to drive purchases.

What Was Seized

Police recovered a substantial volume of counterfeit items, including 20 Michael Kors purses, 10 luxury watches (brands including Michael Kors, Tissot, Armani Exchange, and Omega), over 1,000 Allen Solly lowers, hundreds of branded T-shirts, women's coats, kurtis, tops, dresses, and trousers. Footwear bearing the names of Puma and Adidas was also seized.

Additionally, five Pine Labs swipe machines, multiple QR code scanners with active SIM cards, bill books (filled and blank), stamps, calculators, and security tag detachers were recovered — indicating a large-scale, well-organised commercial operation.

The Accused and the Alleged Mastermind

During the raid, Iqbal, son of Rahman, aged 51 and a resident of Punhana in Haryana's Nuh district, was found managing the exhibition and sales operations and was subsequently arrested. During interrogation, Iqbal reportedly admitted to working under the directions of co-accused Farukh Ahmad, believed to be the mastermind behind the racket.

According to police, Iqbal supervised daily operations, managed staff, handled customers, and oversaw sales proceeds, for which he received a commission of approximately 8–10 per cent of profits. Farukh Ahmad allegedly organised exhibitions across cities, arranged logistics and manpower, and supplied counterfeit goods.

The Operation and Legal Action

The raid was conducted following a complaint from representatives of Brand Protectors India Pvt. Ltd., including Amanpreet Singh and Director Dhirender Singh, who identified multiple items as counterfeit. The operation was led by Inspector Ashish Sharma, along with SI Prakash, SI Guman Singh, ASI Sandeep Chawla, W-ASI Narendra Kaur, and other staff, under the supervision of ACP Raj Kumar.

A case has been registered under FIR No. 111/2026 dated 4 May 2026 at the Crime Branch police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Copyright Act. The court has granted two days of police custody for further investigation. Efforts are underway to apprehend co-accused Farukh Ahmad and trace the full supply chain of counterfeit goods.

Delhi Police has urged citizens to exercise caution while purchasing branded items from exhibitions and discount sales, and to buy only from authorised dealers. Officials noted that such rackets cause significant financial losses to genuine brands and the government exchequer. Investigations are ongoing to dismantle the entire network.