India

Pakistan‑Made Fairness Creams Spark Health Concerns in Bihar and West Bengal Border Areas

By Sanjeev K Jha

A large consignment of banned cosmetics was seized by the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) near the Nepal border in Bihar and West Bengal, revealing a growing market for Pakistan‑made fairness creams marketed as ‘Gori Beauty’ and ‘Chandani Whitening’. The seizure highlighted gaps in preventing prohibited goods from entering India, prompting the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) to alert state authorities and police to strengthen border surveillance and monitor unauthorized cosmetic products.

State health departments and drug control cells have intensified monitoring in the Kosi and Seemanchal regions of Bihar and in Darjeeling, Siliguri, and Malda districts of West Bengal. Separate teams are investigating the suspected supply network and the channels through which the creams reach local markets.

Deputy Inspector General Kumar Ashish of the Kosi region said the issue came to light following the SSB seizure and that authorities were tasked with checking smuggling. A senior police official in Siliguri noted that smugglers exploit porous stretches of the Nepal border to transport prohibited cosmetics into West Bengal, routing them from border settlements to commercial centres such as Kolkata and Asansol. SSB Inspector General Nishikant Ujjwal confirmed that the customs department was also working on the racket and that no laxity would be allowed in guarding the international border.

Siliguri Police Commissioner Syed Waquar Raza said that consumption of the banned creams in West Bengal’s border areas runs into the thousands each month, citing their relatively low prices compared with branded cosmetics and expensive herbal alternatives as a factor attracting consumers with limited purchasing power.

An investigation of the seized products found that both creams contained potentially harmful heavy metals and toxic elements, including mercury, at levels several times higher than prescribed limits, and that they lacked valid registration certificates required for import into India. Health experts warned that cosmetics with excessive concentrations of toxic substances could damage the skin and cause serious health complications. Dr. RK Choudhary, a civil surgeon in Kishanganj, cautioned that children and other vulnerable users could face additional risks from prolonged exposure.

The popularity of fairness products, especially in rural markets where cheaper alternatives are in demand, adds another dimension to the enforcement challenge. Authorities are now attempting to trace distributors and retailers selling the creams and identify possible stockpiling points along the supply chain. Sustained coordination among the SSB, customs authorities, drug regulators and state police is deemed crucial to disrupting the network. The immediate priority is to prevent further consignments from reaching consumers and to establish the scale of distribution of the allegedly hazardous products across Bihar and West Bengal.