Three traders booked in Maharashtra for selling banned Pakistani products

Police on Tuesday booked three traders in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for allegedly stocking and selling banned cosmetic products made in Pakistan , in violation of multiple Indian laws and import restrictions, officials said. The accused Mohammad Abrar (26) , Ankur Agrawal (35) and Juman Khan (48) were named in an FIR registered late Sunday at City Chowk police station under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act , sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act for dealing in prohibited goods and cheating customers .

Authorities carried out coordinated raids at three shops, Highlight Collection in Ghasmandi, Om Traders in Shahganj and Falak Emporium at City Centre Mall, between 1.50 pm and 5 pm on Sunday, seizing cosmetic items worth about ₹59,980 , including whitening creams, soaps, serums and beauty packs that lacked valid purchase invoices or import documents.

Police said the goods are suspected to have been illegally imported from Pakistan , where a supply network may be distributing banned “Made in Pakistan” cosmetics despite a government ban on imports from Pakistan issued through a Directorate General of Foreign Trade notification in May 2025. The ban prohibits such products entering the Indian market. Investigation teams are now probing the supply chain to identify how the restricted items reached Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and whether others are involved.

Officials added that the action followed complaints from Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers about the open sale of prohibited Pakistani products in local markets, prompting police to act. Further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the trade network and related offences.