Six people were yesterday arrested by the Anti-Counterfeit Agency in Mombasa in connection with selling 4000 pieces of counterfeit Dettol soaps valued at two million shillings.
Regional Coordinator Anti-counterfeit Mombasa Ibrahim Bulle said the fake soaps were being sold to unsuspecting customers at residential areas across Mombasa.
Bulle said that they carried out a two weeks
operation that led them to the big arrest and they are still investigating
about the counterfeits from the market.
He said that they received information from
consumers that they were being sold Dettol soaps that are counterfeits.
“These fake soaps were being sold in residential
areas within Mombasa because it is hard to be detected by our officers. We have
arrested six suspects in connection with the fake soaps and investigations are
still ongoing to establish the origin of these soaps that could be toxic to
consumer consumption,” said Bulle.
Bulle added that the agency also managed to nab
over 2800 pieces of other counterfeit products valued at five million
shillings.
Among the products nabbed include several boxes
of Lauren roll-on valued at two million shillings, Nike label Shoes, caps, and
sandals and Caterpillar open shoes worth sh.700, 000, Motor vehicle filters and
antirust sprays.
Bulle said that the agency has stepped up its
operation across the East African boarders which are porous.
He said that most of the products destined to
Uganda Tanzania Rwanda and Burundi find their way into the country.
“We have opened up our offices at border
checkpoints to ensure that the goods entering the country are legal and
genuine. We are also liaising with port police officers because some of these
products find their way into the country through the port,” said Bulle.
He urged people to report to their agency about
any counterfeit products to help them fight with the increasing counterfeit.
Last month the agency nabbed fake Samsung phones
worth sh. 5.2 million shillings and arrested six people who have been selling
the counterfeits phones in shops in Mwembe Tayari in Mombasa County.