Fake tea, detergent racket busted in Hyd

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

The Special Crime Team of the Commissioner’s Task Force, Central Crime Station (CCS), Hyderabad, along with Goshamahal and Afzalgunj police, apprehended three persons for allegedly selling duplicate household products in the city.

Acting on credible information on March 2, 2026, police seized large quantities of counterfeit tea powders, detergent powders and mosquito repellent refills branded as leading companies. The accused were identified as Jaya Ram (30), a resident of Begumbazar; Kachhawa Surendera (34), residing in Dullapally; and Hanuman Ram (21), from Barmer district of Rajasthan.

Police recovered 1,340 packets of duplicate Red Label tea, 100 Taj Mahal tea packets, 950 Tide detergent packets, 100 Ariel packets, 300 Wheel packets and 550 Surf Excel packets. In addition, 3,600 duplicate Good Night mosquito repellent refills, 9,500 fake label covers of Red Label and Gemini Tea brands, and 75 kilograms of raw tea powder were seized.

According to officials, the accused sourced duplicate packing covers and low-quality raw materials from dealers in Gujarat at discounted rates. They allegedly packed and supplied the counterfeit goods to retail and wholesale shops in Goshamahal, Afzalgunj, Begumbazar and other parts of Hyderabad, passing them off as genuine branded products.

The operation was led by Inspector D. Bikshapathi under the supervision of ACP G. Venkateswar Reddy. The accused were handed over to local police stations for further legal action.

Police advised consumers to verify QR codes on products to ensure authenticity before purchase.