The fake products were destroyed.
The Dubai Customs seized and recycled 48,000 counterfeit items worth over Dh1 million in the first quarter of 2020. After the duplicate products bearing the trademarks of Apple and Michael Kors were destroyed, they were recycled.
The items included 42,184 Apple products worth Dh861,000. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director-General of Dubai Customs, said: “Recycling these items reduces the environmental footprint and helps raise awareness about the importance of proper disposal of such harmful items.”
The official said once fakes are seized, the customs informs trademark owners about it. “The Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Department at Dubai Customs leads the way in seizing counterfeit goods and protecting brands from any IPR violations.
“Last year, 637,000 items bearing 190 trademarks were recycled,” said Musabih.
The official added that Dubai Customs fights counterfeiting and piracy through exchange of expertise and cooperation with other partners and countries.
Yousef Ozair Mubarak, Director of the IPR Department, said the department organised 86 workshops and lectures on intellectual property rights. “These targeted 46,000 people.”
