KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 44,832 units of imitation goods with an estimated worth of over RM1.6 million were seized between January and May by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry’s (KPDNHEP) Kuala Lumpur enforcement branch.
Its chief enforcement officer, Azeem Nazuri Azeem Nazuri said the branch handled 47 cases through which the imitation items were seized
“Compared to last year, the total number of imitation goods increased by almost 35 per cent this year as opposed to only 33,280 units of imitation goods in 2018 over the same period.
“The value of the seized imitation goods increased three fold compared to last year which amounted to only RM562,340, but KPDNHEP was able to handle 75 cases last year. This year, there was an increase in the value of such goods compared to last year.
“This demonstrates the effectiveness of KPDNHEP Kuala Lumpur in successfully increasing its effort in combating the sale of imitation goods on a larger scale although the number of cases decreased this year,“ he told Bernama at the Kuala Lumpur KPDNHEP office recently.
He said KPDNHEP Kuala Lumpur would not have achieved success with such a high value of seized items if it did not have the cooperation from the trademark owners who provided information and shared intelligence.
Azeem said among the imitation goods seized were bags, shoes and international designer shirts.
“For the year 2018, the most sought-after goods were imitation accessories of luxury brands such as watches, with seized items worth more than RM250,000.
“For this year, counterfeit leather bags with a total value of RM529,600 were the most expensive items that were seized,“ he added.
He said the modus operandi of traders selling the imitation goods was either wholesale or through their respective retail outlets.
“We believe all these imitation goods were obtained overseas. All cases involving the imitattion goods are being investigated under Section 8 of the Trade Descriptions Act 2011,” Azeem added. — Bernama
