The Pakistani cosmetics seized in Hyderabad were traced to Crawford Market in Mumbai

Items seized from Beauty Ladies Emporium, Beauty Queen Shop and SJ Medical Shop in Habeeb Nagar and Nampally in Hyderabad. | Photo credit: By arrangement

Pakistani cosmetics still finding their way into Hyderabad more than a year after India closed the door on imports from the neighboring country have now led investigators to Mumbai’s Crawford market, pointing to a wider supply chain behind the banned products.

The development comes amid separate public health concern over some skin-whitening products. The Central Drugs Standards Control Organization (CDSCO) last month specifically warned consumers against two creams made in Pakistan after tests revealed excessive amounts of heavy metals.

Both ‘Goree Beauty Cream’ and ‘Chandni Whitening Cream’, named in CDSCO’s September 8 alert, were among the products found in raids at three shops in Hyderabad this week.

An officer involved in the investigation said the cosmetics seized in Hyderabad allegedly came from Crawford Market in Mumbai. “Investigators are now looking further down the chain to determine how the products reached India and reached the wholesale and retail markets despite restrictions on their import.

Imports from Pakistan banned from May 2025

India banned the direct or indirect import or transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan on 2 May 2025. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade imposed the restrictions through a notification citing national security and public order.

The ban also applies to goods entering India indirectly, meaning that routing products originating in Pakistan through another country does not in itself allow them to be imported.

Additionally, cosmetics imported into India are governed by the Cosmetics Rules 2020. Products must be registered with the Central Licensing Authority before import and must meet prescribed quality and safety standards.

CDSCO had stepped up scrutiny even before the latest seizure of Hyderabad. In July, it ordered its zonal authorities, state licensing authorities and port officials to maintain increased surveillance for cases of imported cosmetics being sold in domestic markets without valid import registration certificates.

Heavy metals found in two creams

The health regulator followed it up with a sharper warning on September 8. After testing Goree Beauty Cream and Chandni Whitening Cream, he said that neither of them had been issued with a registration certificate for import and that the products contained heavy metals above the prescribed limits, which could pose health risks, including toxic effects. Consumers have been advised not to buy or use them.

The Hyderabad probe, meanwhile, has opened up another line of inquiry. According to the police officer, investigators found that the ointment, which originated in the United Kingdom, was allegedly mixed with cosmetic products and the resulting product was sold to lighten the skin.

Samples of the products have been sent for forensic examination and investigators are awaiting laboratory findings to determine their composition and determine the substances present in them.

Officials have raised concerns about potentially carcinogenic substances, but court results are pending. Therefore, the exact health consequences of the seized preparations have not yet been determined.

The latest probe follows raids by Hyderabad police and CDSCO at Beauty Ladies Emporium, Beauty Queen Shop and SJ Medical Shop in Habeeb Nagar and Nampally areas, where cosmetics worth about ₹7 crore were seized.

The stock included several Pakistani whitening creams, soaps and other beauty products. Five people were identified in connection with their alleged sale and distribution.

The Crawford Market reference also comes against the backdrop of enforcement action in Mumbai itself, where about ₹12,000 worth of Pakistani-made cosmetics were seized during a raid in July.

Published – 02 Oct 2026 20:13 IST