Surat: Laskana police have busted an alleged racket involving the sale of counterfeit Gucci Flora perfumes and arrested a 36-year-old Surat trader. Police seized fake perfume bottles, brand-name stickers and packaged products worth Rs 45,990 from an office in the city.The accused, Sandeep Beladiya (36), a resident of Akshardham Society near Hathi Mandir in Katargam, allegedly sold duplicate Gucci Flora perfumes for financial gain.The action followed a complaint by an investigator representing Gucci Flora’s legal team, who informed Laskana police inspector M B Zala about the alleged sale of counterfeit perfumes from Office No. 101 at Skyview Business Horizon, within the Laskana police station limits.Acting on the information, a surveillance team led by police sub-inspector N R Patel raided the office in the presence of panch witnesses and apprehended Beladiya. The team seized perfume bottles and stickers bearing names resembling the brand.The seized material included 22 Gucci Flora stickers, 1,016 stickers bearing the name “Guccii Flora” and 23 marked “Guccy Flora”. Police also seized 214 perfume bottles without stickers, two bottles carrying “Guccii Flora” stickers and three similarly labelled bottles packed in boxes.The perfume bottles were valued at Rs 210 each, taking the total value of the seized property to Rs 45,990, police said.Police inspector M B Zala said the accused allegedly sold perfumes in different fragrances at discounts of up to 80% through various online platforms, his own platforms and social media. Original Gucci Flora perfumes are priced between Rs 5,000 and Rs 15,000, while the counterfeit products were allegedly sold for Rs 500 to Rs 1,000, he said.A case has been registered at Laskana police station under Sections 51 and 63 of the Copyright Act, 1957. Further legal action is under way.Police have launched an investigation to identify the manufacturing and bottling unit supplying the counterfeit perfumes.
