Bangalore, India
Officials seized the fake cartridges in Bangalore, with two men arrested.
The Hindu reported on the seizure, with a team of officials from the Central Crime Branch (CCB) raiding two warehouses on behalf of the Bharathi Nagar police. The seizure netted 530 fake cartridges worth around Rs. 33 lakh ($52,727/€48,748), and saw the arrests of two men – Radheshyam and Ramlal – while the “main dealer” – Babu Khimgi Gadri – escaped.
The cartridges had been packaged “to look like genuine HP, Samsung and Canon products with the logos and price tag[s] of the companies”, and the men were said to be selling the cartridges “at the price of the genuine ones and cheating customers”. The authorities stated that the cartridges had been sold for around three months, and added that a case has begun under Section 51(1), (b) Section 63 and Section 420 of the Indian Penal Code.
The Recycler reported in January on another seizure in DJ Halli, Bangalore, by the CCB, which saw 315 counterfeit toner cartridges worth around Rs. 15 lakh ($24,000/€20,000) seized.
The January raid also resulted in the arrest of the shop owner, Shabbir Ahmed, who according to police “collected empty cartridges from other stores and establishments and refilled them with duplicate [toner]”, repackaging the products with labels from well-known and “reputed” brands “to make [them] look like the brand new one[s]”.