Mumbai: Trader Arrested For Selling Fake N95, V-410 V Masks Worth Rs 29 Lakhs

The Mumbai Police's Crime Branch on Wednesday seized fake N-95 and V-410 V masks worth ₹21.39 lakh, which were being sold as branded and arrested a 42-year-old trader under the Essential Commodities Act.

The accused Safdar Hussain Mohammad Jafar Momin runs a textile business in Bhiwandi town of Thane district in Maharashtra and had been selling the low-quality duplicate masks for a while.

Assistant Police Inspector, Mumbai crime branch (Unit III) Nitin Patil informed the media that the police had received a tip-off about the scam and seized almost 10,000 masks.

The 42-year-old claimed the masks to be a Venus company product, the company that produces high-quality masks used in the hospitals and had its logo attached to the fake products.

After employees of the Venus company, who were called in to check the quality of the masks, confirmed that the product had not been made by them and was of poorer quality, reported The Indian Express.

Following, an FIR was registered against Momin at NM Joshi Marg police station. After interrogation, the police found that the accused had stored bulks of fake products in his godown, and had been selling the masks to medical stores for the past three months without any license.

During the interrogation, more leads to the case have been found. The police suspect more other people involved based out of Delhi.

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