Counterfeit spare parts racket busted in southern Riyadh
Counterfeit spare parts racket busted in southern Riyadh
May 21, 2016 | 12:13 AM
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May 21, 2016 | 12:13 AM
Last Updated: May 21, 2016 | 12:13 AM
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Mishal Al-Otaibi
Saudi Gazette
RIYADH – Acting on a tip-off, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry busted a villa in Al-Azizia district in southern Riyadh and apprehended several workers. The villa was being used as a residential office and an adjoining big walled yard as a warehouse to store counterfeit goods worth millions of riyals.
A group of workers of various nationalities ran the show at the villa and yard. They would distribute the fake products among spare parts shops here after getting a set of orders through telephone. The orders came from the people, who acted in concert with them to market the counterfeit products, in return for commissions. They marketed the goods using Toyota Dyna trucks and minibuses.
On being tipped off, the Ministry of Commerce first verified the information and after confirming its veracity kept the location and workers under surveillance. It led to other places where they would meet their clients. The warehouse and residence were busted while the workers were forging spare part packets.
The Commerce Ministry inspectors found a large number of counterfeit car oil and air filters ready for sale in the market, apart from large numbers of stickers and empty cartons printed locally bearing the logos and colors of international car manufacturing companies. The workers involved in the forgery and selling of counterfeit products were arrested.
About 1.6 million forged stickers were found at the location, aside from 40,000 fake car oil and air filters ready to be sold in the market. The ministry’s inspectors also found four printers and high quality packaging machines using the latest technology.
The authorities also impounded several vehicles, which the workers used in distributing and marketing their counterfeit goods in Riyadh and other cities like Jeddah and Dammam and the southern and northern regions.
The value of the counterfeit goods is estimated at millions of riyals. The counterfeit spare parts cause losses for local consumer and the national economy in general. The inspectors of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry filed a report against the arrested workers and seized the counterfeit goods.
A group of workers of various nationalities ran the show at the villa and yard. They would distribute the fake products among spare parts shops here after getting a set of orders through telephone. The orders came from the people, who acted in concert with them to market the counterfeit products, in return for commissions. They marketed the goods using Toyota Dyna trucks and minibuses.
On being tipped off, the Ministry of Commerce first verified the information and after confirming its veracity kept the location and workers under surveillance. It led to other places where they would meet their clients. The warehouse and residence were busted while the workers were forging spare part packets.
The Commerce Ministry inspectors found a large number of counterfeit car oil and air filters ready for sale in the market, apart from large numbers of stickers and empty cartons printed locally bearing the logos and colors of international car manufacturing companies. The workers involved in the forgery and selling of counterfeit products were arrested.
About 1.6 million forged stickers were found at the location, aside from 40,000 fake car oil and air filters ready to be sold in the market. The ministry’s inspectors also found four printers and high quality packaging machines using the latest technology.
The authorities also impounded several vehicles, which the workers used in distributing and marketing their counterfeit goods in Riyadh and other cities like Jeddah and Dammam and the southern and northern regions.
The value of the counterfeit goods is estimated at millions of riyals. The counterfeit spare parts cause losses for local consumer and the national economy in general. The inspectors of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry filed a report against the arrested workers and seized the counterfeit goods.
