Counterfeiting grows to “unprecedented level”, with $176 million worth of goods seized worldwide since beginning of 2013 and Dubai seen as main distribution location.
The Gulf Today reports that an International Police (Interpol) official has praised the work of police in Dubai in tackling the trafficking of counterfeit products at the 3rd Convention for Combating Intellectual Property Crimes on 24 and 25 November – a two-day workshop organised by the Dubai Police and hosted by the Emirates Intellectual Property Association under Dubai Customs.
According to Michael Ellis, Assistant Director at Interpol, said that $176 million (€130 million) worth of counterfeit goods have been seized worldwide since the start of this year, with “slightly over 6,000 persons” being implicated for the crimes.
In Dubai, $3.2 million (€2.4 million) worth of counterfeit products were seized from 168 separate operations between January and September, with $13 million (€9.6 million) worth of goods seized in Dubai in 2011 and 2012 from 750 different seizures.
However, Ajman’s figures more than tripled those of Dubai’s in the last three consecutive years after Ajman Police made “one of the largest seizures in the world of counterfeit printer cartridges and components” in June after seizing nearly $76 million (€56 million) worth of cartridges from two warehouses in Ajman owned by two Chinese dealers. This figure could also mean that Ajman holds the largest share of seized goods globally.
Abdul Aziz Abdullah, Assistant Director for the NCB in charge of Middle East and North Africa sub-directorate, said that “constant coordination, effective collaboration, data sharing and networking among the international police and officials working on curtailing counterfeit goods” is needed. “This effort will help make the vice history,” he added.
Ellis meanwhile highlighted the importance of tackling counterfeit products in Dubai as “while production is made in China, distribution to the rest of the world is mainly done through this commercial, well-positioned city”.