Counterfeit goods worth N$12m seized

WINDHOEK – A two-day Interpol operation that combed through Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Malawi and Zambia seized counterfeit products in excess of N$12 million. The seized goods comprised of pirated toys, cigarettes, electrical chargers, shavers, CDs, DVD players, sports wear, as well as laptops with pirated Microsoft software. In Namibia alone, Interpol seized 4 860 cartons of fake ‘Yes’ cigarettes. Interpol had codenamed the sting ‘Operation Kalahari’ and it took place on September 12 and 13, with the involvement of the country’s police, customs and prosecutors. Interpol said the operation succeeded in targeting many locations including well-established shops where both fake and genuine products were sold side by side. “[The operation] shows that any product can and will be counterfeited by criminals and sold to an unsuspecting public,” Francoise Dorcier, the Criminal Intelligence Officer with Interpol’s Trafficking in Illicit Goods and Counterfeiting Programme, which coordinated the operation, said in a statement.

 

http://www.newera.com.na/2013/10/17/counterfeit-goods-worth-n12m-seized/