New Delhi, 30 Jan (UNI) Crime Branch has unearthed a large-scale manufacturing unit producing fake shoes of top international brands, including Nike, Adidas, New Balance, and Skechers, an official said on Friday.
The owner of the unit, Sandeep Singh, 44, a resident of Ambey Enclave, Chauhan Patti, Sonia Vihar, has been arrested, the police said.
The operation was conducted by the team of the Anti-Extortion & Kidnapping Cell (AEKC) of the Crime Branch, which was followed by a tip-off regarding the illegal production of branded footwear in Northeast Delhi.
The team verified the information and conducted preliminary surveillance, and based on these developments, a special team carried out the raid.
During the raid conducted on Wednesday, police found a fully operational manufacturing setup, and subsequently they seized 6 heavy heating press machines, 9 printing screens, 131 dyes for printing brand logos, 6 PVC rolls, along with 9,616 upper parts of shoes and 1,667 sticker sheets of the branded companies.
“It was also found confirmed that the unit was operating without authorization, and the seized items were intended for large-scale distribution of counterfeit footwear,” said Sanjay Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch).
Singh, who hails from Basti, Uttar Pradesh, and moved to Delhi in 2000, initially worked in a printing press in Chawri Bazar. “Over the years, he transitioned from printing to operating a full-fledged counterfeit shoe manufacturing unit. He is married and has three daughters,” the officer mentioned.
The officer further added in his statement that a case has been registered against him for cheating, forgery, and copyright violations.
Further investigations into this case are ongoing by the team to trace the supply chain and other associates involved in the syndicate.
