Crackdown on Banned Pakistani Cosmetics in Maharashtra

In a significant enforcement action, authorities in Maharashtra's Dhule district have filed charges against two traders accused of storing and selling banned cosmetic products manufactured in Pakistan. The import of these goods into India is prohibited under current trade regulations.

The crackdown unfolded on Friday when the Crime Branch conducted raids at two separate locations, seizing personal care commodities such as whitening creams, soaps, and beauty packs, collectively valued at Rs 61,000. The traders, identified as Kailash Devanand Nankani, 50, and Fazlu Rehman Salim Ansari, 32, now face charges under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

These cases, the latest in a series of actions against illegal imports, have been registered with the Chalisgaon Road and Dhule City police stations. As the police delve deeper into the supply channels, they seek to understand how these prohibited items found their way to Dhule. This comes in the wake of a nationwide crackdown instigated after the Pahalgam terror attack in May 2025, which prompted a ban on imports from Pakistan.