12,000 fake N95 masks seized from Bengaluru, probe underway

Bengaluru Central Crime Branch on Tuesday raided and seized as many as 12,000 fake N95 masks from a godown here.

The police informed that the accused made masks from a normal cloth and were selling it at the same price in the market as that of N95 masks.

"CCB has conducted a raid and seized twelve thousand fake N95 masks... the accused made the masks with normal cloth and put fake N95 seal and sold it at high price as N95 masks..We will weed out such anti socials who try to prey in this hour of crisis..,", Sandeep Patil, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) said.

The police is yet to make arrests in the case.

Investigation in the case is underway and more details in this regard are awaited.

Recently, Noida Sub-Divisional Magistrate with a team from the Health department busted a fake sanitiser and mask factory.

Notably, the Central government recently had brought masks and hand sanitisers under the Essential Commodities Act up to June 30 as the novel coronavirus pandemic led to shortages and black marketing of these items.

Any person found guilty under the Act may be punished with imprisonment up to seven years or fine or both and can be detained for a maximum of six months.