Dubai Police’s Anti-Economic Crime Department has stepped up its campaign against clamping down on counterfeit goods and it is a step in the right direction. Traders who ply counterfeit goods are just one small component of a billion-dollar industry that is getting bigger and criminals are getting more innovative and sophisticated in order to extend their illegal empire.

Counterfeit products may come at a cheaper price than the original, but rest assured there is always a high price to pay later. The UAE has taken the correct approach in thwarting those who ply counterfeit products because, sooner or later, it has been established that governments are caught between combating the traffickers or coping with the unquenched demand for fake products. This dilemma has problems of its own. The UAE’s focus on quality in every sphere ensures that it does not succumb to this global phenomenon. Offenders must be brought to book. In this regard, it is making a statement of intent against these criminals as well as being a model global citizen.

The philosophy is to ensure that the demand for and supply of forged goods will shrink. Effective legal safeguards will also ensure that efforts by the authorities will bear fruit.