₹33.3 lakhs seized in Chennai and Bengaluru” data-reg = “Fake Xiaomi products worth ₹33.3 lakhs seized in Chennai and Bengaluru”>Fake Xiaomi products worth ₹33.3 lakhs seized in Chennai and Bengaluru
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Counterfeit Xiaomi products including headphones, power banks, chargers and earphones worth INR 33.3 lakhs were seized by police during October-November from four suppliers in Chennai and three suppliers in Bengaluru, according to Xiaomi.
The shops selling counterfeit Mi products were discovered by Xiaomi’s anti-counterfeit team which was created to constantly monitor the market for counterfeits.
After complaints were filed with the local police stations in both cities, raids were conducted on the shops of suppliers and seven people were arrested in the matter. It was found that the suppliers were dealing in counterfeit Mi products for years.
During the raids, police confiscated more than 3,000 products including mobile cases, headphones, power banks, chargers, and earphones with fake Mi branding. The estimated worth of fake products in Chennai was INR 24.9 lakhs and INR 8.4 lakhs in Bengaluru.
High demand for smartphones and accessories has given rise to a parallel market dealing in counterfeit products sold with fake brand names and logos.
According to a 2019 estimate by Authentication Solution Providers’ Association (ASPA), counterfeiting causes around ₹1.05 lakh crore losses to India every year.
In November 2019, counterfeit Xiaomi smartphones and accessories valued at ₹13 lakh were seized by police from four suppliers in Delhi’s Karol Bagh.
Smartphone isn’t the only electronics vertical that is dealing with fake products. Counterfeit HP printing products including toner and toner printing supplies with an estimated worth of USD 6 million (approx INR 44.4 crore) were seized by the police between November 2019 and July 2020 and more than 10,000 websites selling fakes were taken down through efforts of HP India’s Anti-Counterfeiting and Fraud (ACF) team. Around 78 raids were conducted by police and 68 people were arrested for selling fake HP products.
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In addition to financial losses, counterfeit products also hurt brand image. They also pose serious safety and privacy risks for users buying and using them.
Xiaomi has advised users to buy their products from authorized stores and partner outlets.
