The Delhi police have recently exposed a serious health issue for thousands of consumers with a recent bust of a fake toothpaste factory in the Khanjawala region of Delhi. In a recent raid, the Crime Branch acting on information seized 1000’s of replicas of the “Sensodyne” brand of toothpaste, as well as the machinery used to manufacture these items.
According to officials, the volume of the counterfeit operation was so large that goods with a value of several lakhs were seized from the premises. The person arrested, in connection with this operation, was 58-year-old Hari Om Mishra, who was allegedly running the illegal operation and supplying counterfeit products to the market.
Fake Toothpaste: Thousands Of Fake Tubes, Machines And Raw Material Seized
During the raid, police seized a vast amount of fake toothpaste, including approximately 1,800 filled tubes, over 10,000 empty tubes, and over 1,200 packed tubes of toothpaste. In addition to the tubes, police seized raw paste, packaging materials, caps, wrappers, glue, and the equipment used to fill and seal the tubes.
According to officials, the entire operation was carried out under very unsanitary conditions, raising significant health concerns. A high-ranking officer stated, “The items taken from the store represent several hundred thousand rupees in value and posed an extreme health risk to the public because of unsanitary conditions under which they were made.”
How The Fake Toothpaste Was Being Made
Police said that the way to create a fake toothpaste involved a simple but hazardous approach: Filling the tube with toothpaste from a local source and sealing it with a device to provide an appearance of being from a brand.
The packaging of the phony goods resulted in a counterfeit box and the sale of fake toothpaste as though it were a legitimate item purchased from an ordinary retailer. According to police officials, the entire operation was created to take advantage of consumer trust in brand-name consumer products.
The fake toothpaste case is tied into a broader investigation being conducted by the Delhi Police, who also recently shut down a second operation located in Dwarka that was selling food and drink that had exceeded their expiration date. Police arrested three people that were selling out-of-date items for sale by changing the expiration date of the food and drinks through the use of chemicals to remove the original expiration date and print new retail labels using a printing device. The repackaging and resale of the food and drink products has put the public’s health in jeopardy.
Fake Toothpaste: Consumers Face a Major Threat to Their Health
Because of the unknown and probably dangerous ingredients used to create counterfeit products, experts believe these products can be harmful to consumers, not beneficial to their oral health. For example, the counterfeit toothpaste was produced in substandard facilities using unapproved materials, so it poses a danger to the user rather than providing protection to their oral health.
In addition, authorities have indicated that counterfeit products pose not only an economic risk, but also a direct risk to public safety. Some of the potential health risks associated with using counterfeit toothpaste include but are not limited to: Infections caused by pathogens contained in the toothpaste, periodontal disease caused by dental hygiene products made with unknown substances.
How To Identify Fake Toothpaste
With such cases rising, consumers need to be careful while buying everyday products like toothpaste. Here are some simple ways to spot fake ones:
Check packaging quality: Fake products often have poor printing, spelling mistakes, or faded colours.
Look for price differences: If the price is unusually low, it could be counterfeit.
Verify batch numbers and expiry dates: Mismatched or poorly printed details are a warning sign.
Check seal and tube quality: Loose caps or poorly sealed tubes can indicate tampering.
Buy from trusted stores: Avoid unknown sellers or roadside vendors for branded items.
Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
