1.5 million counterfeit products seized

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has confiscated over 1.5 million pieces of counterfeit electrical equipment, including mobile phone chargers which were in violation of local specifications.
The counterfeit items were seized following a raid on a villa in central Riyadh, which had been converted into a warehouse by a commercial establishment. These products, which are hazardous to consumers, have been confiscated and the villa sealed, a statement by the ministry said.
The ministry said it received a complaint from a citizen saying he suspected the villa was being used as a warehouse for counterfeit electrical equipment, which were being supplied to commercial stores in Riyadh.
Monitoring teams were dispatched to the site for surveillance, and at an opportune time, security personnel conducted the raid and found expatriates repacking the counterfeit equipment in boxes carrying popular brand names and fake warranties.
The ministry said the confiscated equipment included more than 32,000 mobile phone chargers, 205,000 car mobile chargers, 6,000 iPhone electrical leads, 1,300 batteries for Nokia phones, 32,000 chargers carrying popular brand names, 35,000 headphones carrying various brand names and 125,000 empty boxes to repack the chargers.
The ministry has been carrying out comprehensive campaigns in warehouses and markets through its various branches spread across the Kingdom to confiscate counterfeit electrical equipment. The confiscated counterfeit materials are immediately destroyed besides ordering closure of shops violating norms.
The statement said the ministry strives, through such campaigns, to curb the practice of selling counterfeit electrical equipment, which pose a threat to the lives of consumers. The ministry stressed that it will not be lenient with anyone found selling and promoting counterfeit goods, the statement added.