Mangaluru police have registered two cases of trademark infringement after raiding sports shops in Ullal and Mangaluru North, where counterfeit branded items were being sold.
Addressing the media on Tuesday, DCP (Law & Order) Mithun HN said the raids followed a complaint from Stephen Raj, South India Regional Head of Brand Protectors India Pvt Ltd. Raj alleged that fake Cosco, Nivia, and Yonex products were being sold as originals.
According to the complaint, shops in Ullal and Mangaluru North were selling counterfeit footballs, volleyballs, and badminton rackets. Ullal police registered the first case on Monday under Sections 51(1)(b) and 63 of the Copyright Act, while Mangaluru North police filed the second case under the same provisions on Tuesday.
Raids led to the seizure of counterfeit goods worth ₹3.5 lakh in Ullal and over ₹5 lakh in Mangaluru North, totaling approximately ₹8.5 lakh. Nearly 300 fake sports items were confiscated.
A preliminary probe into invoices revealed that the counterfeit products were sourced from Jalandhar. DCP Mithun warned consumers to be vigilant while purchasing branded goods, noting that fake products were being sold at prices nearly identical to originals, with shopkeepers luring customers through 20% discounts.
He added that counterfeit gear can be identified through minor differences in holograms, texture, and colour. The press briefing was also attended by DCP (Crime & Traffic) Ravishankar, and ACPs Vijayakranti and Prathap Singh Thorat.