Sriganganagar: A joint operation by the Indian Army and Rajasthan Police has busted a racket involved in supplying counterfeit fabric for Army combat uniforms in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district.
During the crackdown, officials seized around 1,000 metres of fabric closely resembling the Indian Army's newly introduced combat uniform from multiple shops across local markets in the district.
The action stems from an investigation launched after counterfeit Army combat clothing was seized in Bareilly in June this year.
Probe traces source
The probe traced the origin of the fake uniforms to Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar, prompting the Indian Army's intelligence unit to carry out a covert investigation in the district.
The inquiry revealed the involvement of a local firm allegedly supplying counterfeit Army-pattern combat fabric to shops in Sri Ganganagar city, Lalgarh Jattan, Suratgarh, and nearby markets.
Joint crackdown launched
Earlier in the month, the Indian Army submitted its interim investigation report to the Rajasthan Police. Acting on the findings, Army security personnel and Rajasthan Police carried out a joint operation on July 30, raiding multiple shops across the district as part of the crackdown.
Security risks highlighted
According to the Indian Army, the unauthorised possession, sale or use of military-pattern combat clothing is a punishable offence. Misuse of such uniforms poses a serious security risk, as they can be used by individuals to impersonate armed forces personnel and exploit their identity for unlawful activities. The Indian Army holds exclusive Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) over its digital camouflage design and patterns.
