Ajman: Ajman Police conducted one of the largest seizures in the emirate netting Dh4 million worth of counterfeit wristwatches.
Details of the police operation were revealed by Brigadier Shaikh Sultan Bin Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Commander-in-Chief of Ajman Police on Wednesday during a press conference at Ajman Police headquarters.
Ajman Police, along with enforcers of Intellectual Property Rights, conducted raids on a number of shops and seized duplicate wristwatches that were being stored and sold under the brand name of Swiss watchmakers.
Police seized 18,000 duplicate wristwatches worth Dh4 million.
Another Dh500,000 worth of faux watches were seized in separate raids on several shops in Ajman.
Ajman Police were tipped off by a few traders who were selling counterfeit wristwatches in Ajman.
Police countered by forming a team to investigate the accuracy of the reported information which resulted in successful raids.
Several Swiss officials of note attended the press conference on Wednesday, including the Swiss Ambassador to the UAE, Andrea Raishlin.
Salim Al Shaali, legal counsel for owners of Swiss brands, also attended the ceremony.
The ambassador thanked Ajman authorities for their swift action that not only led to the seizure of counterfeit watches but also the punishment of traders dealing in fake brands.
Brigadier Al Nuaimi said the battle against pirated products is not yet over as more efforts need to be made to make the public aware of the negative impact of using counterfeit products and to know how to tell the difference between genuine and fake products. The punishment for dealing in counterfeit goods, according to UAE law, is a jail term not less than one year and fines ranging between Dh5,000 and Dh10,000.
