KOCHI: Officials of the Drugs Control Department seized a huge quantity of fake cosmetic products from a wholesale shop functioning at a shopping complex at Marine Drive here on Thursday.
The officials said in the raid conducted at the cosmetic shop, ‘Midas’, it was found that products, including hair oil, henna powder, Vitamin E tablets, and facial creams, were stored in the shop without valid documents.
“The tablets and facial creams of fake brands were imported from China and illegally brought to Kochi,” said an official. The wholesale dealer has six branches in the state.
The raid was conducted following a complaint lodged by a Malappuram native who developed an allergic reaction after using a hair oil purchased from the shop.
“The details of the products, including dates of manufacturing and date of expiry, were not recorded on the packets. The manufacturers’ names were also missing. The shop owners also did not maintain bills and other documents,” said an officer.The seized products will be produced before the court and sent for quality control examinations.
Racket suspected
Initial investigation suggests the involvement of a racket in the business. The department officials are trying to trace the exact sources from where the products were transported.
“In this case, the products were imported from China to Tamil Nadu and from there they were brought to Kochi. Such fake cosmetics contain high amounts of toxic substances like lead, arsenic, cobalt and nickel, which, when applied on the skin, permeate into the body and cause serious side-effects,” said an officer.
Meanwhile, people managing the shop told the officials that they had not received any complaint regarding their products so far.