In a major crackdown, the Delhi Police Crime Branch has uncovered a large-scale racket involved in manufacturing counterfeit ENO and fake Nescafe coffee products in the national capital. Acting on specific intelligence, police conducted a raid in the Madhu Vihar area, where two illegal units were found operating.
These units were producing fake ENO powder and counterfeit coffee sachets, which were then supplied to markets across multiple regions through wholesale and retail channels.
During the operation, authorities seized goods worth approximately Rs 20 lakh. The recovered items included three packaging machines, nearly 1 lakh ready-to-sell ENO sachets, around 50,000 fake coffee sachets, 500 kg of coffee powder, acid-filled drums, packaging rolls, stickers, cartons and other manufacturing materials.
Officials highlighted the serious public health risks posed by such counterfeit products. ENO, commonly used to treat acidity, gas, and indigestion, is directly linked to consumer health—making the circulation of fake variants potentially dangerous.
Four accused nabbed
Four individuals—Uttam Das, Papai Das alias Pankaj, Nitin Bhardwaj, and Sanjay Bansal—have been arrested in connection with the case. Investigations revealed that the accused had rented two flats and had been running the illegal operation for the past two months.
While Nitin Bhardwaj initially managed to evade arrest, he was later tracked down using technical surveillance and apprehended from the Sahastradhara area in Dehradun. Sanjay Bansal was subsequently arrested near Kashmiri Gate.
Representatives from the concerned companies confirmed after inspection that the seized ENO and coffee products were counterfeit. They stated that the items were neither manufactured by them nor authorized under any licensing agreement.
Police have launched further investigations to trace the distribution network and identify additional links in the supply chain.
