New Delhi, April 21 (IANS) The Delhi Police’s Cyber Cell and Crime Branch, Southern Range, on Tuesday busted a major and highly organised racket involved in the illegal manufacturing, stocking, and distribution of spurious ENO antacid powder and counterfeit Nescafe coffee products in the national capital, officials said.
According to the police, the fake ENO products commonly used for relief from acidity, indigestion, and gas-related disorders, along with counterfeit coffee products, were being supplied through wholesale and retail channels across various parts of the country. The racket posed a serious threat to public health and consumer safety.
The operation was carried out by a dedicated team led by Inspectors Manjeet Kumar of the Cyber Cell and Pardeep Kumar of the Southern Range, under the supervision of ACP Swagat Patil Rajkumar and the overall guidance of DCP Rahool Alwal.
Acting on credible secret information, the team conducted raids at premises in Madhu Vihar, where two illegal manufacturing units were found operational. During the raid, the units were actively engaged in producing and packaging counterfeit ENO powder and fake Nescafe coffee under the supervision of Uttam Das, with assistance from labourer Papai Das Baragya, also known as Pankaj.
Police recovered three single-track filling machines with compressors, around 1,00,000 ENO sachets and 50,000 Nescafe sachets ready for distribution, along with raw materials including nearly 500 kg of coffee powder and two drums of acids. Packaging materials such as foil rolls, stickers, cartons, and gunny bags were also seized.
During interrogation, Uttam Das and Papai Das revealed that the units had been operational for the past two months from two rented flats under the direction of Nitin Bhardwaj, who was involved in manufacturing and distribution.
Bhardwaj was initially absconding but was later apprehended from Sahastradhara in Dehradun, using technical surveillance. He disclosed his links with Sanjay Bansal, who was subsequently arrested near Kashmere Gate while attempting to flee the city.
The police said the case exposes a well-organised criminal network involved in manufacturing, repackaging, and distributing counterfeit everyday products, thereby endangering consumers’ lives.
Four accused have been arrested: Uttam Das, 23, and Papai Das Baragya, 19, both residents of Shastri Nagar, Bhardwaj, 38, a resident of Geeta Colony, and Sanjay Bansal, 50, a resident of Tri Nagar.
Representatives from the pharmaceutical company confirmed that the seized ENO products were not manufactured or authorised by them, and that the accused were not licensed distributors. Similarly, representatives of the coffee company verified that the recovered Nescafe products were counterfeit and had no manufacturing approval.
Police said the products were falsely branded, amounting to cheating and posing serious health risks. An FIR (No. 86/26 dated April 14, 2026) has been registered at the Crime Branch police station under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 318(4), 336, 340, 275, and 61(2), corresponding to earlier IPC provisions related to cheating, public health hazards, forgery, and criminal conspiracy.
The operation involved a team comprising SI Parvesh, WSI Shabnam Saify, ASI Kanwarpal, and several head constables from the Cyber Cell, along with ASI Ram Kishan and staff from the Southern Range.
Further investigation is underway to trace the supply chain.
–IANS
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