Fake Xiaomi Products Worth Rs 33 Lakh Seized From Bengaluru, Chennai; Company Advises Caution
Imagine buying a new gadget and later realising that you have been duped by the seller who sold you a counterfeit product.
Chinese tech major, Xiaomi which is among the most popular mobile brands in India has been struggling with an influx of counterfeit products with the company's branding.
Now, raids conducted by police in Chennai and Bangalore have exposed a nexus involved in counterfeiting Xiaomi products.
Xiaomi?said counterfeit products were seized from four suppliers in Chennai and three suppliers in Bengaluru.
The fake products were worth around Rs 33 lakh.
As a part of the company's proactive anti-counterfeit programme, a complaint was filed with the local police station, and raids were conducted in the market in the months of October and November, a statement said.
Following the registered complaint, police officers along with company's representatives seized counterfeit devices from three prominent shops in the area, it added.
Over 3,000 products seized
Over 3,000 products consisting of mobile back cases, headphones, power banks, chargers, and earphones, were found.
"The shop owners from both the cities were arrested for allegedly selling fake Mi India products worth Rs 24.9 lakh and Rs 8.4 lakh, respectively. Upon interrogation it was found that these suppliers have been managing this business for a long time and have sold multiple unauthorised products in the market," it added.
The company said customers can ascertain the authenticity of products like power banks and audio products by the security codes on mi.com. Consumers can also visit any Mi Home/ Mi Store to validate the original packaging.
Xiaomi said counterfeited products not only degrade customer experience but are also a big threat to consumer health and safety, can also jeopardise privacy and data security and in some cases, can also be hazardous.
Such incidents have increased in the country over the previous year and to prevent such instances, Mi India has created a special task force that is responsible for constantly monitoring the market and acting against such unauthorised entities and counterfeiters, it added.
The company said consumers are advised to purchase 'genuine' products from authorised stores of the brand and partner outlets.
