Preliminary investigation revealed that discarded engine oil was sourced from scrap dealers and service centres.
Zirakpur Fake Engine Oil Racket Exposed: Thousands of Containers Seized
On Saturday, Zirakpur police, in coordination with the legal metrology department, busted a large-scale racket manufacturing and supplying spurious engine oil, sealed the premises, and arrested its operator. According to police sources, the raid took place at a godown in the Bhabaat area following specific inputs and on the directions of the SDM of Derabassi.
A joint team led by Assistant Controller Pritpal Singh and ASI Balraj Singh found that the facility was functioning as an illegal manufacturing unit. The accused, Sandeep Kaushik of Peer Muchalla, was arrested on the spot. He failed to produce any licence, pollution clearance, or mandatory approvals required for manufacturing lubricants. A forensic team was called to collect samples for scientific analysis.
Preliminary investigation revealed that discarded engine oil was sourced from scrap dealers and service centres, chemically treated, mixed with colouring agents, and packed in plastic containers with labels of reputed brands. Officials recovered thousands of fake labels and containers of brands such as Star Bajaj, Special Hero, 4T Plus, and Consol, making the counterfeit packaging nearly indistinguishable from genuine products, the police confirmed.
Police have registered a formal case and launched an investigation to trace the supply chain, including retailers and distributors allegedly selling the fake oil in Tricity and rural areas of Punjab and Haryana. ASP Gazalpreet Kaur said, “The unit was operating without any licence. Old engine oil was being recoloured and sold as branded lubricant. The premises have been sealed, and further investigation is under way.”
Source: Times of India
