Mumbai police make five arrests over fake cosmetics

Police in Mumbai, India, have arrested five people in connection with sale of counterfeit, branded cosmetic products.

The people detained had links to two retail outlets in a shopping mall in the Malad suburb of north Mumbai, and according to a report in the freepressjournal.in police raids uncovered around Rs 2.4m (around $33,000) worth of fake cosmetics which were hard to differentiate from the genuine brand.

The accused told police that the cosmetics – which were offered at a huge discount – had been manufactured in China and brought to India illegally.

Counterfeit make-up and perfume has been known to contain dangerous substances causing acute reactions such as rashes, allergic reactions and eye infections. Moreover, some products have been found with toxic and carcinogenic substances such as mercury, lead and nickel.