Pak-made beauty cream seized in Maharashtra has mercury 48k times above safe limit
Pakistan-made beauty creams seized in Maharashtra's Nanded have been found to contain mercury levels nearly 48,500 times the permissible limit, with a government laboratory report also detecting dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals such as arsenic in the products, raising serious health concerns.
A government laboratory report has revealed alarming levels of toxic heavy metals, including mercury and arsenic, in beauty products labelled 'Made in Pakistan' that were seized by police in Nanded nearly four months ago, an official said on Friday.
The products, valued at approximately Rs 39.69 lakh, were confiscated during a raid conducted by Itwara police station personnel and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials at Afrah Collection (Afrah Tours and Travels) in the Makkah Galli area of Nanded on July 9.
According to police, samples collected during the raid were sent for laboratory examination, which revealed dangerously high concentrations of mercury in two beauty creams.
The 'Parley 24K Gold Gleam Beauty Cream' was found to contain 48,453.44 parts per million (PPM) of mercury, against the permissible limit of just 1 PPM under cosmetic regulations. Another product, 'Goree Beauty Cream with Lycopene', contained 6,924.94 PPM of mercury, nearly 7,000 times the prescribed limit.
During the raid, police found that the shop operator, Mohammad Ziauddin Mohammad Wajid, was in possession of beauty products carrying labels in Urdu and English claiming Pakistani origin.
Officials said the laboratory findings raised serious concerns about the potential health hazards associated with the products. Prolonged exposure to excessive levels of mercury and arsenic through cosmetics can cause serious skin disorders, kidney damage and neurological complications, they warned.
A case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act. Police have also urged citizens to report the sale of counterfeit, unlicensed or suspicious imported cosmetic products.
The findings come amid reports that beauty creams labelled 'Made in Pakistan' are also being sold in other states, including Madhya Pradesh, where authorities in Bhopal recently launched a probe into the reported availability of Goree beauty cream in local markets and on online platforms.
The cream, carrying a 'Made in Pakistan' label, is reportedly being sold for prices ranging from Rs 150 to Rs 800, including at shops in Chowk Bazaar, one of Bhopal's major cosmetic markets.
In a separate crackdown in early October, Hyderabad Police seized cosmetic products worth approximately Rs 7 lakh that were allegedly imported from Pakistan without the necessary authorisation or registration.
Police registered two cases against five people for their alleged involvement in the unauthorised sale of the products. The seized items included beauty creams and soaps marketed for skin-whitening purposes.- Ends
