Fake soap factory

The Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) raided an unlicensed factory manufacturing cosmetic soaps in Bhavnagar on July 19. Four samples of suspected cosmetics were sent for testing, and cosmetic items worth ₹60,000 were seized.

Dr H G Koshia, Commissioner, FDCA, detailed the operation: “Led by Bhavnagar FDCA Commissioner A A Radadia, FDCA teams from Gandhinagar and Bhavnagar raided the residence of Nilofar Khadarani in Meghdut Society, Bhavnagar. They found soaps were manufactured without a licence, using a bogus licence number GJ/05/0034175.”

The unit contained household items such as induction stoves, pots, spoons, flavours, moulds, fridges, Ayurvedic mix powders, 120 kg of raw materials, ‘Prabal’ brand brass coins, and printed cartons, all of which were seized.

Another raid conducted at Suryatnaya Innovation LLP in the city’s Swastik Society revealed that these soaps were being sold on their website and online via Amazon.

It was revealed in the raid that around 1,800 soaps of various brands, worth approximately ₹3.50 lakh, were sold through Amazon.

Koshia added, “The sale and delivery of all soaps were managed through Apex Pharma Agency, Bhavnagar, operated by a person named Dilip Mehta. Four samples were collected from this agency and sent to the Vadodara laboratory for analysis.”

Goods worth ₹20,000 were seized from this agency as part of legal proceedings.

The probe also revealed that the cosmetic sales were ongoing for about one-and-a-half months. A thorough probe has been launched by the department to gather further details in this case.