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15-07-2015, 04:05 PM
(This post was last modified: 15-07-2015, 04:08 PM by urpussysucker.)
Be careful friends Fake iPhones are in the market!
The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police raided Akasaki, a trusted name in mobile phones and accessories at Lotus Plaza in Karol Bagh, and found counterfeit iPhones and all kinds of assembling material for other smartphones.
Planning to buy a new smartphone any time soon? Looking for best deals online or searching for a cornershop that offers big discounts? Be warned! You may end up with a fake that has been assembled in the local market from parts sourced from China. As recent as last Thursday, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police raided Akasaki, a trusted name in mobile phones and accessories at Lotus Plaza in Karol Bagh, after a tip-off from officials of the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (EIPR).
They not only found counterfeit iPhones, but also all kinds of assembling material for other smartphones. The shop was seized and a huge scam unearthed.
Akasaki is not only one of the major traders in mobile accessories, but also a known supplier to various online portals: from Keematdekh.com to Flipkart, Amazon and Shopclues.com. It is also one of the biggest importers of mobile phones and accessories with offices in India, China and Africa.
The haul
Cops seized around 28 iPhone5 and six iPhone 6 smartphones, all fake. They also found over 4,300 assembling material for iPhones, which included holograms, stickers, packaging material, spare parts, covers etc.
Before the raid took place, an investigation was carried by EIPR, which helps brands look into cases of copyright violation. Apple is one of their clients. EIPR received information about fakes being assembled in Delhi and started their probe.
Zaheer Khan, managing director of EIPR, said: "We received information about counterfeit iPhones flooding the market and carried out an investigation to unearth the scam. We zeroed in on Akasaki since it is one of the biggest sellers of mobile phones and accessories not just in India but in countries like Africa and China as well.
The e-portals are equally guilty as no verification is carried out before they source from shops like Akasaki and advertise to buyers.
New market
"These fake iPhones and smartphones are assembled mainly in India and most of the parts are imported from countries like China and Africa. The registered Apple stores in India do not encourage repairs, but only replacement for iPhones which is another reason why such shops selling fake parts are emerging."
Cops said not just iPhones, they found mobile phones and accessories of other brands to be fakes, but only seized fake iPhones and accessories as the complainant had only mentioned Apple products.
A source in the Delhi police, who was part of the team that raided Akasaki, said: "We raided the store after we were informed about fake mobile phones being assembled in Akasaki mobile store. The manager Mukesh Sharma and one other person manning the shop, Mahendra Singh, were arrested under section 51 and section 63 of the Copyrights Act."
On the list
Mail Today investigation found that not in Akasaki, Gaffar market, Old Lajpat Rai Market, Palika Bazar and Nehru Place also sell fake smartphones. Sale of fake smart phones and accessories are also taking place in other metro cities. The famous MIDC commercial market in Andheri, Mumbai, is in the list of EIPR of places where fake mobile phones are assembled and sold.
Traders import imitation parts of iPhones and other smartphones mainly from China, assemble them locally and sell them as originals at heavy discount.
The Crime Branch of the Delhi Police raided Akasaki, a trusted name in mobile phones and accessories at Lotus Plaza in Karol Bagh, and found counterfeit iPhones and all kinds of assembling material for other smartphones.
Planning to buy a new smartphone any time soon? Looking for best deals online or searching for a cornershop that offers big discounts? Be warned! You may end up with a fake that has been assembled in the local market from parts sourced from China. As recent as last Thursday, the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police raided Akasaki, a trusted name in mobile phones and accessories at Lotus Plaza in Karol Bagh, after a tip-off from officials of the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (EIPR).
They not only found counterfeit iPhones, but also all kinds of assembling material for other smartphones. The shop was seized and a huge scam unearthed.
Akasaki is not only one of the major traders in mobile accessories, but also a known supplier to various online portals: from Keematdekh.com to Flipkart, Amazon and Shopclues.com. It is also one of the biggest importers of mobile phones and accessories with offices in India, China and Africa.
The haul
Cops seized around 28 iPhone5 and six iPhone 6 smartphones, all fake. They also found over 4,300 assembling material for iPhones, which included holograms, stickers, packaging material, spare parts, covers etc.
Before the raid took place, an investigation was carried by EIPR, which helps brands look into cases of copyright violation. Apple is one of their clients. EIPR received information about fakes being assembled in Delhi and started their probe.
Zaheer Khan, managing director of EIPR, said: "We received information about counterfeit iPhones flooding the market and carried out an investigation to unearth the scam. We zeroed in on Akasaki since it is one of the biggest sellers of mobile phones and accessories not just in India but in countries like Africa and China as well.
The e-portals are equally guilty as no verification is carried out before they source from shops like Akasaki and advertise to buyers.
New market
"These fake iPhones and smartphones are assembled mainly in India and most of the parts are imported from countries like China and Africa. The registered Apple stores in India do not encourage repairs, but only replacement for iPhones which is another reason why such shops selling fake parts are emerging."
Cops said not just iPhones, they found mobile phones and accessories of other brands to be fakes, but only seized fake iPhones and accessories as the complainant had only mentioned Apple products.
A source in the Delhi police, who was part of the team that raided Akasaki, said: "We raided the store after we were informed about fake mobile phones being assembled in Akasaki mobile store. The manager Mukesh Sharma and one other person manning the shop, Mahendra Singh, were arrested under section 51 and section 63 of the Copyrights Act."
On the list
Mail Today investigation found that not in Akasaki, Gaffar market, Old Lajpat Rai Market, Palika Bazar and Nehru Place also sell fake smartphones. Sale of fake smart phones and accessories are also taking place in other metro cities. The famous MIDC commercial market in Andheri, Mumbai, is in the list of EIPR of places where fake mobile phones are assembled and sold.
Traders import imitation parts of iPhones and other smartphones mainly from China, assemble them locally and sell them as originals at heavy discount.
