New Delhi: In a significant development in the ongoing crackdown against counterfeit health products, the Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested another suspect linked to a fake protein supplement racket and uncovered a fully operational illegal manufacturing unit in the national capital.
The operation was executed by a team from the RK Puram unit of the Crime Branch, led by Inspector Rampal and supervised by ACP Umesh Barthwal and DCP Pankaj Kumar. This action follows a previous operation that resulted in the arrest of two suspects and the seizure of 150 kg of spurious nutritional supplements along with counterfeit stickers from various brands.
Based on disclosures from the previously arrested individuals and corroborated through technical surveillance and local intelligence, police identified Naveen Kumar alias Banjara (32), a resident of Charkhi Dadri in Haryana. Acting swiftly, the team conducted a raid at a location in Rani Khera village, Delhi, where another illegal manufacturing unit was discovered.
🚨🔥 ANOTHER FAKE PROTEIN RACKET BUSTED! BIG BREAKTHROUGH BY NDR, CRIME BRANCH 🔥🚨
— Crime Branch Delhi Police (@CrimeBranchDP) March 29, 2026
💥 Delhi Police tightens the noose on counterfeit supplement mafia
👮♂️ Another key accused arrested in ongoing crackdown
🏭 Illegal factory unearthed in Rani Khera
⚠️ Huge recovery includes:
🥤… pic.twitter.com/loVY4NNnp9
During the raid, Naveen Kumar was apprehended on-site. Initial investigations revealed that he was actively involved in producing counterfeit protein supplements of well-known international brands such as Optimum Nutrition and Syntha-6. The fake products were created using low-cost raw materials like maltodextrin, cocoa powder, and flavoring agents, and were packaged in counterfeit containers adorned with fake stickers, holograms, and seals.
Police also recovered a desktop computer containing digital files of counterfeit packaging materials, including stickers for “Optimum Nutrition,” further solidifying the accused’s involvement in the organized racket. Officials from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) were summoned to the site, and samples of the seized products were collected for analysis.
A substantial quantity of spurious supplements and manufacturing materials was seized during the operation, including 26 sealed containers of fake protein powder, hundreds of counterfeit stickers and holograms from various brands, empty jars in different colors, raw materials such as maltodextrin bags, flavored powders including vanilla, cookies, chocolate, and blueberry, as well as machinery used for manufacturing and packaging. The equipment recovered included nutritional supplement manufacturing machines, weighing machines, an induction sealing machine, and a QR code printing machine.
Investigations have indicated that the accused played a pivotal role in the supply chain, sourcing raw materials, manufacturing fake supplements, and arranging counterfeit packaging before distributing the products in the market. This racket not only posed serious health risks to consumers but also inflicted financial losses on reputable brands.
Further investigations are underway to identify other members of the network, trace the supply chain, locate additional manufacturing units, and recover more counterfeit products already circulated in the market. Police are also exploring connections to similar cases involving the accused in the past.
Officials emphasized that this operation represents a significant step in dismantling an organized network engaged in the illegal production and sale of counterfeit nutritional supplements, reaffirming their commitment to combat such activities and safeguard public health.
