KT for good: Counterfeit sellers, UAE government is out to get you - and your stash

UAE authorities are upping their game to dismantle the counterfeit supply chains.

Cheap and unauthorised copies of luxury brands are flooding the market, and traders are resorting to more innovative marketing techniques using social media and online platforms.
But UAE authorities are upping their game to dismantle the counterfeit supply chains. Getting the fake goods off the shelves is the first line of protection for consumers. And regular inspections have broken the back of the fake traders as millions of counterfeits are taken off the market every year.

Recent raids that busted the fake market

February 2019
Over 20,000 bottles of counterfeit perfumes were seized in Dubai by the Department of Economic Development (DED) in a raid. Following a tip-off from one of the company representatives, the authorities found the products in a warehouse in Al Qusais Industrial Area. Ibrahim Behzad, director of intellectual property rights protection at the DED, said technical reports from the representatives showed that the perfumes weren't genuine and could even harm the health of customers.
December 2018
The DED in Dubai shut down around 14,000 social media accounts in 2018 for selling counterfeit goods.
The accounts, with a combined total of 77.9 million followers, were blocked by the DED's commercial compliance and consumer protection department. The move is part of the UAE's efforts to protect trademarks and brands. The vast majority of accounts were on Instagram - 13,529 - and 419 were on Facebook.
The UAE's state news agency reported that round-the-clock surveillance and cooperation with trademark owners and law firms also helped detect 45 websites that were selling counterfeit goods.
November 2018
Fake goods worth a whopping Dh332 million were seized and destroyed by Dubai authorities in 2018, according to figures released by the DED. A total of 19.9 million counterfeit products were seized from the emirate, and cosmetics topped the list with a total of 4.9 million pieces. The value of the products seized was estimated at Dh88.3 million.
October 2018
Authorities in Abu Dhabi seized over 7,000 pieces of counterfeit clothes, footwear and accessories stashed in a secret warehouse. The DED said all 7,363 fake products were confiscated in a raid would be destroyed. In the second half of 2018, the DED seized a total of 9,249 fake products and issued 1,456 fines. From January to June 2018, the department also shut down 16 shops in Abu Dhabi.
June 2018
Some 2.3 million phones and accessories worth an estimated Dh98 million were seized in Dubai. A total of 151,165 fake watches worth Dh21.7 million were confiscated by Dubai authorities in 2018. In Abu Dhabi and Ajman, the police raided retail outlets and a warehouse, confiscating more than 1,600 fake copies of luxury jewellery brands. Over 600 counterfeit earrings, necklaces and pendants were seized, and more than 1,000 fake goods were confiscated from the warehouse in Ajman.
February 2018
Sharjah authorities, in two raids, seized more than 30,000 counterfeit electronic products worth almost Dh4 million. The raids were carried out on a warehouse and a shop in Sharjah, with officers confiscating 30,546 illegal lithium-ion batteries, AC adapters, chargers, keyboards, hard drives, and LCD screens, among other items, with a total value of almost Dh4 million.
anjana@khaleejtimes.com
 

• UAE
• KT For Good

Anjana Sankar

• anjana@khaleejtimes.com