The Amount of Dates Sale Reached SR 6 million riyals annually
The Ministry of Commerce and Investment announced the issuance of a ruling by the Administrative Court in Riyadh, against a citizen and two brothers of Arab nationality for violating Anti-Commercial Concealment Law. The defendants involved in preparing and filling fake dates by using a polluted swimming pool south of Riyadh. MCI inspectors monitored the labors Stuffing the dates with almonds, dried fruits, figs and other kinds of nuts, then they used to refill and pack the dates, and they placed forged labels and posters for famous brands for misleading the consumers that they are of high quality.
The results of the investigations revealed that the annual income of those defendants amounted to SR 6 million riyals annually, through using the name of the citizen and the establishment registered under his name.
The details go back when MCI received a tip about using a random rest house south of Riyadh for storing dates and other foodstuffs in a way contrary to health and environmental requirements. During the inspection of the site, the inspectors observed the presence of large quantities of dates and dried fruits inside the toilets and labor rooms, in addition to Posters and counterfeit containers designed to cheat and deceive the consumers.
The inspectors also monitored and detected purchasing bills, stamps and ATM cards with the defendants, where they used to sell and distribute the quantities in the local market. During the investigation, the defendants admitted of using the bank account of the establishment, more over large sums and foreign currencies seized with them.
The seizures included 8 manual machines for packing and wrapping dates, 180 cartons of date with almonds, 45 cartons used for packing, 150 thousand labels bearing the words “High Quality Dates”, "luxury Khulass Dates”, "Luxury Sukkary Dates" etc., more than 600 empty cartons bearing the words "Khulass Ashikir Dates".
Accordingly, the Ministry shut down the site and all the quantities were seized. The case was referred to the Public Prosecution, which in turn referred it to the Administrative Court, which issued a ruling to convict the citizen and two brothers of an Arab nationality, since they committed a violation of Anti-Commercial Concealment Law. A fine was imposed against the defendants, and the expats to be deported and prevented of re-entering the Kingdom.
According to Article (1) of the Anti-Commercial Concealment Law, a non-Saudi should not, in any case, practice or invest in any trade activity he is not licensed or allowed to practice. The said article pointed out as well that any Saudi enables the non-Saudi of investing or practicing trade activity he is not licensed or prohibited to practice, will be considered a concealer, whether through using the citizen’s name, license, C.R. or in any other manner.
MCI is endeavoring to seize and detect any violation related to Anti-Commercial Concealment Law. Besides applying the relevant Rules & Regulations which may reach to two years' imprisonment, a fine of 1 million riyals against each offender, deporting the non-Saudis from the Kingdom, defaming the names of violators in the local newspapers at their own expense, Liquidation of trade activity, writing off the C.R., prohibition of practicing the same business for up to five years.