Plant Shut down, 23,000 Detergents and 14 Tanks of Chemicals Seized
MCI inspection teams have arrested today an expat of Arab nationality working for his own and running a factory, south of Riyadh, for producing fake and counterfeit detergents, bearing the trademarks of well-known brands such as "Clorex" and "Fairy". Therefore, 23.000 containers of fake detergents seized, while the plant has been shut down, the expat and four labors have been arrested and referred to the Public Prosecution for taking the necessary legal procedures against them, since they are practicing fraud and counterfeiting under the suspicion of a commercial cover-up.
The details go back when MCI received a tip from abroad about the aforementioned plant. Therefore, the field teams, in cooperation and coordination with the joint security campaign of Riyadh police, began the monitoring and investigating process about the site, and they started preparing an ambush for the expat. Consequently, four labors of Asian nationality were arrested. They have been practicing fraud and cheating by producing plastic containers, and forging the brand of "Clorex" and "Fairy". They put stickers on the containers, in preparation for their distribution in the local markets. Thus misleading and deceiving the consumers by claiming that such items are of high quality.
The seizures included 6 machines and equipment used for filling and packing, 14 tanks of liquid chemicals, capacity of 1000 liters, 2000 bottles of Clorex, ready to be sold 4,500 empty containers ready to be filled, 16,500 Fairy bottles of different sizes, ready to be sold, 41,500 forged stickers and empty cartons. Upon inspecting the expat car, invoices for distributing the items to fake establishments have been found, besides the details of the printing press used to print and forge the trademarks.
It is worth mentioning that the commercial fraud exposes the violator to a fine of up to one million riyals or imprisonment for a period not exceeding three years or both, besides defaming the offenders in the local newspapers and deporting the illegal labors from the Kingdom and preventing them from returning to work in the Kingdom.
MCI would like to affirm the continuation of its inspection and control rounds on warehouses and commercial establishments to verify their regular work, and the safety of the products. MCI will not hesitate to take stern measures and to impose the legal penalties against the violators and those involved in practicing fraud and counterfeiting.
MCI calls on all consumers to lodge their complaints through MCI Consumer Call Center (1900) or through the application of a Commercial Violation Report or via the Ministry's official website.