Counterfeit Indian Army uniform network busted. Here's why it's a national security concern
A joint operation by Indian Army intelligence and Rajasthan Police has dismantled a network supplying counterfeit Army-pattern combat cloth
Indian Army intelligence and Rajasthan Police have disrupted a network trading in counterfeit Army-pattern combat cloth. The operation, sparked by a prior seizure in Bareilly, revealed a wider conspiracy to supply fake military uniforms to local vendors, a move deemed a serious national security threat due to the potential for impersonation by anti-social elements
Indian Army intelligence and Rajasthan Police have disrupted a network trading in counterfeit Army-pattern combat cloth. The operation, sparked by a prior seizure in Bareilly, revealed a wider conspiracy to supply fake military uniforms to local vendors, a move deemed a serious national security threat due to the potential for impersonation by anti-social elements
Indian Army intelligence and Rajasthan Police have disrupted a network trading in counterfeit Army-pattern combat cloth. The operation, sparked by a prior seizure in Bareilly, revealed a wider conspiracy to supply fake military uniforms to local vendors, a move deemed a serious national security threat due to the potential for impersonation by anti-social elements
Indian Army intelligence units and the Rajasthan Police have uncovered an alleged network supplying counterfeit Army-pattern combat cloth after seizing nearly 1,000 metres of unauthorised fabric from shops across Sriganganagar district.
News agency ANI, citing Indian Army sources, said the incident exposed a wider network allegedly supplying counterfeit military uniforms to vendors in the region.
The unauthorised manufacture, storage and sale of Army uniforms pose a serious national security risk, as they can be misused by anti-social elements to impersonate security personnel.
The operation was launched after a consignment of counterfeit combat cloth was seized in Bareilly in June this year. According to the Army, an interim probe report was shared with the Rajasthan Police in mid-July, leading to a coordinated operation on July 30 in which security personnel and police searched multiple shops.
Investigators traced the material to a manufacturing source in Sriganganagar, prompting Indian Army intelligence personnel to carry out a discreet probe in the district.
The investigation identified a local firm as a key link in the supply chain, allegedly distributing counterfeit Army-pattern combat cloth to shops in Sriganganagar town, Lalgarh Jattan, Suratgarh and other nearby markets.
In 2023, the Indian Army secured Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for the design and camouflage pattern of its newly introduced Camouflage Pattern Dress. The move was aimed at preventing unauthorised vendors from manufacturing and selling the combat-pattern uniform in the open market, as it was considered a serious security threat to both the Indian Army and the nation.