Nanded raid: Beauty cream found with mercury levels 48,453 times permissible limit

A government laboratory has found dangerously high mercury and arsenic levels in beauty products labelled 'Made in Pakistan' and seized in Nanded. One cream contained 48,453.44 ppm of mercury, against the permissible limit of 1 ppm, officials said

Nanded: A government laboratory report has revealed dangerously high levels of toxic heavy metals, including mercury and arsenic, in beauty products labelled ‘Made in Pakistan’ that were seized by the Nanded police about four months ago, an official said on Friday.

The products, valued at nearly Rs 39.69 lakh, were confiscated during a raid at Afrah Collection (Afrah Tours and Travels) in the Makkah Galli area of Nanded on July 9.

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According to the police, laboratory analysis of samples collected during the raid found dangerously high concentrations of mercury in two beauty creams, far exceeding the permissible limits prescribed under cosmetic regulations.

The ‘PARLEY 24K Gold Gleam Beauty Cream’ was found to contain 48,453.44 parts per million (ppm) of mercury, against the permissible limit of 1 ppm. Similarly, the ‘GOREE Beauty Cream with Lycopene’ contained 6,924.94 ppm of mercury.

The raid was conducted by a team from Itwara police station along with officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), police said.

The shop operator, Mohammad Ziauddin Mohammad Wajid, was found in possession of beauty products carrying labels in Urdu and English that claimed Pakistani origin.

Officials said the findings raised serious concerns over the potential health hazards posed by the products. Prolonged exposure to excessive mercury and arsenic through cosmetics could lead to serious skin disorders, kidney damage and neurological complications, they said.

A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Drugs and Cosmetics Act and the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, police said.

The police have urged citizens to report the sale of counterfeit, unlicensed or suspicious imported products.