Pakistani cosmetics seized in Hyderabad traced to Mumbai’s Crawford Market

Items seized from Beauty Ladies Emporium, Beauty Queen Shop and S.J. Medical Shop in Habeeb Nagar and Nampally in Hyderabad. | Photo Credit: By Arrangement Pakistan-made cosmetics that continued to find their way to Hyderabad more than a year after India shut the door on imports from the neighbouring country have now led investigators to Mumbai’s Crawford Market, pointing to a wider supply chain behind the banned products.The development comes amid a separate public-health concern over some of the skin-whitening products. The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) last month specifically warned consumers against two Pakistan-made creams after tests found excessive levels of heavy metals.Both ‘Goree Beauty Cream’ and ‘Chandni Whitening Cream’, named in the September 8 CDSCO alert, were among the products found during raids on three shops in Hyderabad this week.An officer involved in the investigation said the cosmetics seized in Hyderabad were allegedly being sourced from Crawford Market in Mumbai. “Investigators are now looking further up the chain to establish how the products entered India and reached wholesale and retail markets despite restrictions on their import.Imports from Pakistan prohibited since May 2025India prohibited the direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan on May 2, 2025. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade imposed the restriction through a notification, citing national security and public policy.The prohibition extends to goods entering India indirectly, meaning routing Pakistan-origin products through another country does not by itself make their import permissible.Cosmetics imported into India are additionally governed by the Cosmetics Rules, 2020. Products must be registered with the Central Licensing Authority before import and are required to comply with prescribed quality and safety standards.The CDSCO had stepped up scrutiny even before the latest Hyderabad seizure. In July, it directed its zonal offices, State licensing authorities and officers at ports to maintain enhanced surveillance following instances of imported cosmetics being sold in domestic markets without valid import registration certificates.Heavy metals found in two creamsThe health regulator followed this with a more pointed warning on September 8. After testing Goree Beauty Cream and Chandni Whitening Cream, it said neither had been issued a registration certificate for import and that the products contained heavy metals beyond specified limits, which could pose health risks, including toxic effects. Consumers were advised not to purchase or use them.The Hyderabad investigation has meanwhile opened another line of inquiry. According to the officer, investigators found that an ointment originating from the United Kingdom was allegedly being mixed with cosmetic products and the resulting preparation sold for skin-lightening purposes.Samples of the products have been sent for forensic examination, and investigators are awaiting the laboratory findings to establish their composition and determine the substances present in them.Officials have raised concerns about potentially carcinogenic substances, but the forensic results are awaited. The precise health implications of the seized preparations are therefore yet to be established.The latest investigation follows raids by the Hyderabad police and CDSCO at Beauty Ladies Emporium, Beauty Queen Shop and S.J. Medical Shop in the Habeeb Nagar and Nampally areas, where cosmetics valued at about ₹7 lakh were seized.The stock included several Pakistan-made whitening creams, soaps and other cosmetic products. Five persons were identified in connection with their alleged sale and distribution.The Crawford Market link also comes against the backdrop of enforcement action in Mumbai itself, where Pakistan-made cosmetics valued at about ₹12 lakh were seized during a raid in July. Published - October 02, 2026 08:13 pm IST