Police in Ajman, Dubai, have seized two million counterfeit toner cartridges worth Dh147 million ($40 million/€35.5 million).
Three Chinese nationals were arrested for selling forged HP toner at reduced prices, with the boxes hidden in two warehouses and at a home in a residential area, Gulf News reported. The seizure follows previous smaller seizures in March and May earlier this year.
Brigadier Sheikh Sultan Abdallah Al Nuaimi, head of Ajman Police, said: “We received a tip-off from Abdel Rahman Ferdan, the HP lawyer, who notified the police that forged copies of [toner] were being sold at lower prices. We immediately launched a probe to arrest the suspects and to seize the forged quantity of [toner].”
Samples from the counterfeit toner cartridges were taken to forensic laboratories, where it was confirmed that they were forged copies, and they will be destroyed after attaining the Public Prosecution’s approval.
Al Nuaimi said that such commercial fraud cases are not very common. He added: “We are urging consumers to report any duplicate copy of any item, instead of buying it. A cheaper product is made of low quality materials that can jeopardise their [the customer’s] health.”