In a major crackdown, Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has uncovered a large counterfeit luxury watch racket operating out of Al-Sabah Market. The operation resulted in the seizure of 1,482 fake watches valued at approximately ₹3.5 crore and the arrest of five traders involved in the sale of counterfeit goods. These traders were allegedly selling duplicate watches bearing brand names like Rado, Longines, Audemars Piguet, and Casio under the pretense of them being genuine imported timepieces.
The investigation began after an employee of a well-known luxury watch importer filed a complaint about fake versions of their products being openly sold in the market. Acting on this lead, the EOW conducted raids on multiple shops within the market and confiscated a large number of imitation watches. The shops raided were numbered 123, 124, 125, 131, and 135. Following the raid, five individuals — Munaf Abdul Qadir Ghoghari, Jagdish Tagaram Purohit, Mangalram Saremallji Purohit, Ahmed Umar Halai, and Hitesh Pukhrajbhai Purohit — were arrested and later remanded to police custody.
According to the authorities, these traders were well aware that the watches were counterfeit and still marketed them as authentic, misleading customers and infringing upon multiple copyright and trademark laws. The accused had created an illegal market space where fake luxury goods were passed off as original, significantly affecting genuine brand distributors and duping unsuspecting buyers.
An FIR has been filed at LT Marg Police Station, and the EOW has confirmed that the investigation is still in progress. Officials are now focusing on identifying others linked to the supply and distribution network of these counterfeit goods. This case brings attention to the growing issue of fake luxury items in urban markets and highlights the need for stronger enforcement, updated digital tracking of goods, and greater consumer awareness about verifying product authenticity before purchase.
