RIYADH: Counterfeit and adulterated goods worth SR 763 million were seized in 2012, an increase of 65.2 percent compared to the number of goods seized in the previous year, the Department of Customs director general announced.
Salih Al-Khilaiwi, speaking at a press conference at the Ministry of Finance yesterday, said the Department of Customs is exerting strenuous efforts to ban entry of counterfeit and adulterated goods.
“In 2012, 55 million units of counterfeit goods were seized, while the number of items confiscated that were non-compliant to the standards and specification reached 77 million units.”
Partnership and exchange of information between the private and public sectors have tremendously contributed to the discovery and seizure of counterfeit and adulterated goods, he noted.
He said his department plans to organize the third Arab forum on combating commercial fraud, counterfeiting and protection of intellectual property rights on March 3 in Riyadh.
The three-day event will, among other things, deal with regulations and procedures in force aimed to ban entry of counterfeit and adulterated goods into the Saudi markets, he said.
The forum comes to demonstrate the Kingdom’s keenness to continue concerted efforts at local, regional and global levels to fight commercial fraud, counterfeiting, and violation of intellectual property rights for the communal safety and protection of national and international economies, he said.
The forum will also explore efforts of international organizations on how to minimize infringements on intellectual property rights and fight against commercial fraud. One theme of the forum will center on the role of consumer protection societies in the face of commercial fraud and counterfeit, he said.
65% jump in seizure of counterfeit products
