Kerala DCA begins raids at cosmetic shops and seizes products worth Rs. 4 lakh

Chennai, February 25, 2023 :

On the lines of raids and inspections at the medical shops, the drugs and cosmetics law enforcement authorities in Kerala have started cracking the whip against violators of cosmetic rules and those who sell fake products in the market.
 
The sleuths have registered cases against 17 shops as part of ‘Operation Soundarya’, a series of raids on the stockists and dealers of cosmetic products in different parts of the state. Raids were conducted in 53 premises in 14 districts including one manufacturing unit in Thrissur and products worth Rs. 4.25 lakh were seized. The seized items were produced before the judicial magistrate court.
 
More inspections and raids will be conducted in next week, mainly targeting beauty parlours for which special permission is being sought by the department, sources from the enforcement authority informed Pharmabiz.
 
Revealing the details of the raids already conducted, D. Sudheesh, senior drug inspector at the DCA at Thiruvananthapuram, said the purpose of the department in initiating the action is to remove the fake products from the market and to ensure that the cosmetic products sold in the state are genuine. He said this time the raids were conducted in provision stores, malls, fancy stores and super markets. No beauty parlour was raided, but they are under scanner.
 
He said three types of fraud items were found in the raid, they were fake products manufactured by certain companies without manufacturing licences, fake forms of products of popular companies and illegally imported items. The seized items include face creams, hair colours, talcum powders, after-shave lotions, lipsticks, shampoo, nail polish, dettol, soaps, moisturizers, etc.
 
The department has received a lot of complaints from several quarters about circulation of fake cosmetic products in the market. There are also complaints about severe side effects due to the products. This was the major reason for an immediate raid, the officer added.
 
Later while talking to Pharmabiz, M Jayan Menon, the state drug controller said the department is planning to conduct awareness classes on the sale and use of cosmetic products as the people do not know that there is a regulatory body to control the manufacture and sale of these products. As regards one lacunae, he said for selling cosmetics the law does not mandate any licences, but for manufacturing it is required. The awareness classes will begin from March in all the districts, he said. Pharmabiz