The Ministry of Commerce and Investment announced the issuance of a court ruling to impose a fine, defamation and deportation against an expat, involved in violating the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law and the Trademark System. The defendant found guilty by mixing various types of rice, and refilling it in containers, bearing false commercial data. This process is done in a primitive and unhealthy way that may threaten the health and safety of consumers. Consequently, MCI shut down the site and those involved were summoned for further investigate and for taking the necessary legal procedures against them.
The Ministry pointed out that the defendants found guilty, therefore a ruling had been issued by the Administrative Court in Riyadh to impose a fine of SR 200,000 riyals and deporting the expat from the Kingdom, after the Implementation of the judgment, as well as the publication of the sentence in two local newspapers.
MCI would like to confirm the continuation of addressing and confronting those violating the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law and the Trademark System, as well as taking all necessary legal procedures against them, since they are deceiving and misleading the consumers, and posing risk on the safety of the public.
The details go back when MCI inspectors detected expats in a plant mixing and refilling Indian and Punjabi rice on the ground. They used to refill the rice in counterfeit bags and in a very primitive way, contrary to the health and environmental requirements.
MCI inspectors monitored as well non- compliance with R&R and the required standards of production. The labors committed several irregularities, including the violation of packaging and storage conditions. Also the presence of a nasty smell coming from a sewage site close to the production hall, which may cause pollution to the items, besides the site is not equipped with air curtains to prevent the entrance of dust and insects, and this may pose risk on the health and safety of consumers.
Consequently, 895 bags of counterfeit rice, weighing 10 kg each, were seized. All other corrupted items and tools used for commercial fraud were confiscated as well, besides the site was shut down. The case was referred to the Public Prosecution for taking the statutory legal procedures.
Notably, displaying any products contrary to the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law, would make the violator subject to a fine of up to one million riyals or imprisonment for a period not exceeding two years or both.
The Ministry of Commerce and Investment would like to confirm the continuation of applying the formal and legal procedures against anyone found guilty of violating the Anti-Commercial Fraud Law, by storing, distributing, displaying or selling counterfeit items or using fake trademarks. The Ministry calls on all consumers to lodge their complaints through MCI Consumer Call Center 1900, Or through the application of a Commercial Violation Report, or through the Ministry's website.