India shines light on hair smuggling as China demand grows

NEW DELHI — An Indian investigation into an alleged hair smuggling racket has shone a light on illicit trade blamed for wiping out thousands of jobs and threatening the South Asian country’s competitiveness in a growing industry.

India‘s Enforcement Directorate earlier this month said it had exposed the smuggling of hair to countries such as Myanmar and Bangladesh and on to China via a network of agents and suppliers catering to burgeoning demand for wigs, hair extensions and hairpieces.