Fake Goods Valued At $65m Seized By Customs In Less Than Two Years

Approximately $65 million worth of infringing products were successfully forfeited and disposed of by the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), acting on behalf of brand-holders, for the period January 2016 to September 2017.

Velma Ricketts Walker, the commissioner of Customs, told The Gleaner that backpacks/bags represented approximately $43 million of the total and that the effect of the importation of fake goods could be catastrophic for the country’s fragile economy.

“The threat of international property rights infringement must not be seen as a victimless crime. It can have serious negative effect on the country’s economic growth, impacting of course, the gross domestic product (GDP),” said Ricketts Walker.

“These items, not being the original goods, are cheaper, but could prove disastrous to GDP,” Ricketts Walker added.

She said an additional $500 million worth of goods was seized and is to be disposed of, which points to the tough job Customs has in cracking down on the importation of counterfeit products.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20170919/fake-goods-valued-65m-seized-customs-less-two-years