30,000 counterfeit designer goods seized in Abu Dhabi flats

Abu Dhabi - The goods were hidden in secret doors, passageways and hidden rooms of apartments. They are estimated to be worth Dhs6 million.

The Abu Dhabi Police have seized 30,000 counterfeit designer goods hidden in residential apartments, one of which was altered with secret doors, passageways and hidden rooms to store the illegal goods. The culprits were working out of these apartments and running an illegal trade, thinking they would go unnoticed by the police and the supervisory authorities.
According to Colonel Dr. Rashid Mohammad Borshid, Head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the goods were hidden in three apartments, in one residential building, one of which contained passageways leading to invisible storage rooms, behind wooden shelves, to stash and promote designer counterfeit goods.
Colonel Borshid said: "Three Bangladeshi men were arrested and interrogated in connection with the apartments, which were all raided in a joint operation in coordination with the Department of Economic Development, after the completion of all legal procedures."
For his part, Lt. Colonel Taher Al Dhaheri, Chief of Organized Crime Section at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), explained that the seized counterfeit goods have a short lifespan and are sold at cheap prices.
Al Dhaheri added that the three suspects, identified as M.A., 34, M.M., 32, and M.G., 45, were interrogated on suspicion of using the apartments as a hiding place to promote the counterfeit goods, by accompanying potential customers from the legitimate shops where they worked to the apartments.
Borshid also noted that the three suspects work separately, in legitimate shops in the same where the suspicious apartments are located.
He added that the seized goods included handbags, wallets, watches, belts, shawls, ties, hats, pens, shoes, sunglasses, perfumes, accessories, jewelry, clothes, medicine, 'sexual items' and supplements. Boxes printed with international brands and fake guarantees were also found in this apartment.
Captain Abdullah Al Mazrouei, Anti-Economic Crimes Branch Manager at the Organized Crime Section at CID, estimated the market value of the seized goods to about Dhs6 million.
Elaborating on the details of the operation, he said that the investigation was launched following complaints by two of the companies whose goods had been counterfeited, against the suspicious shops, whose activities affected their commercial interests in the region and their reputation.
Captain Al Mazrouei said that a plan has been established in coordination with the Department of Economic Development (Trademark and Commercial Agencies Section), to seize the counterfeit goods bearing the logos of well-known brands.
Colonel Borshid noted that the UAE has been a pioneer in enacting laws aimed at combating counterfeit goods and other commercial fraud; hence, consumers are requested to comply with these guidelines set forth by the competent authorities, and report immediately any suspicion of commercial fraud.
The head of the CID Department at Abu Dhabi Police warned consumers against making such purchases from unsafe sources, pointing to the security risks associated with shopping at undesignated places would mean losing certain consumer rights in case a receipt or guarantee is not provided with the purchased item.
 
 

• Abu Dhabi