Displaying items by tag: Fake

Pakistan: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has ordered cement producers to ensure that all cement bags that leave manufacturing sites include a tax stamp or unique identification marking from October 2022. The new requirement is intended to allow for the electronic monitoring of production and sales of goods, according to the Pakistan Today newspaper. This is part of a set of measures designed to increase tax revenue, reduce counterfeit products and stop smuggling.

India: Police in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa District have raided a fake cement facility in the village of Ghuma. The Times of India newspaper has reported that the raid uncovered 3000 bags of fake cement, as well as vehicles used for their distribution.

India: Police have successfully raided a fake cement mixing and bagging operation in the Patel Nagar district of West Delhi. The Times of India newspaper has reported that the accused perpetrators claim to have recorded a profit of US$2.69/bag by contaminating cement purchased for US$3.36/bag with expired cement from building sites. Two people were processing a 350 bag order at the time of the raid.

Police continue to work to trace all cement dispatches from the factory in the interest of public safety.

India: Authorities in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, have closed an unauthorised cement plant in connection with a crackdown on illegal production facilities in the state. The unit, reported to have been in operation for several years, was closed following a tip-off.

The investigating team confiscated more than 500 bags of adulterated cement bearing familiar brand logos, including Ambuja Cement, ACC, Birla and UltraTech Cement. In addition to mixing cement with inert materials, the authorities believe that the unit engaged in the re-sale of cement that had expired and thus could not be guaranteed to reach its designated strength in use.

Fake cement, produced by mixing genuine cement with cheaper inert materials like marble dust and artificial pigments before repacking and selling to an unsuspecting public, presents a major and growing risk to consumers of cement in India.

Peru: Police in Lima have raided a facility in Comas district where workers were packaging adulterated cement into branded cement bags. The La República newspaper has reported that authorities said "We have had the visit of representatives of these cement companies, and they have certified not only that these containers are not original, but also that the final product is not the one they offer to the community."

India: Odisha police have successfully shut down a fake cement operation in Jagatpur. The New Indian Express newspaper has reported that the unit was producing fake cement using various raw materials including marble dust and artificial colours. The unit had reportedly been in operation since as early as 2015.

Assistant police commissioner Amarendra Panda said, “The factory and the go-down have been sealed. The investigation is on to ascertain since when the factory was operational, the source of raw materials and the destinations or shops where the products were supplied. It is also being ascertained whether the owner of the unit is part of a racket engaged in manufacturing adulterated cement.” This is the third fake cement unit uncovered in the city since late 2020.

India: A raid by customs officers on an alleged fake cement production facility near Manpur, Madhya Pradesh, has resulted in the recovery of 250 bags of fake cement. Also present were large quantities of fly ash and low-quality cement, as well as further empty cement bags. The bags bore UltraTech Cement branding. The Free Press Journal has reported the operation was situated in a shed adjacent to a roadside restaurant. Police are searching for an individual seen fleeing the site at the time of the raid.

India: Jagatpur police have raided a counterfeit cement bagging facility in Jagatpur Industrial Estate, Cuttack. Odisha TV News has reported that the operation is suspected of using marble dust, small amounts of white cement and artificial colouring in the fake product. Large amounts of empty packaging from several different cement brands were recovered in the raid. The police made one arrest and seized a vehicle.

India: UltraTech Cement has won a copyright case against a company selling cement brands similar to its own. The cement producer argued at the Bombay High Court that Everest Industries was selling products that were using marks deceptively similar to its own registered mark ‘UltraTech,’ according to the Mint business newspaper. UltraTech said that Everest was using the mark ‘Ultratruf-The Builders Choice’ with similar fonts and colours to its own mark. The court also observed that Everest was deceptively using another brand name, ‘Ambruja’, similar to that of Ambuja Cements.

The court ordered Everest Industries not to use the mark in any manner in mid-May 2018. It also asked it to pay costs and damages.

India: Police have arrested the owner of a factory near Gaurichak in Bihar manufacturing counterfeit cement. Over 5000 bags of cement were seized, according to the Telegraph of India newspaper. Cement bags falsely branded as Birla Gold, Lafarge and other companies were found at the site. Packaging machines were also impounded. Police said the unit was collecting expired bags of cement and reusing them. The investigation will now move on to finding contractors who have been selling the fake products.