Press Release on Seizure of Counterfeit Products in Mwanza and Arusha

FCC Seizes 30m/- Counterfeit Goods

in Mwanza and Arusha Cities

Fair Competition Commission inspectors, acting with powers under the Merchandise Marks Act (1963) as amended, and MMA Regulations 2012, have between 8^th and 12^th April, 2014 carried out dawn raid operations in Arusha and Mwanza Cities netting counterfeit goods worth TShs. 30m/-.

The products seized in the Mwanza raid are as itemized hereunder:

NO	SHOP/OWNER	COUNTERFEIT STATUS	LOCATION
1	Mr Shaban Hussein Kombe (S.K Mobile Phone Shop)	Tecno mobile phones (216pcs)  and batteries (2,556) found	Street, Msikiti Wa Ijumaa
2	Yassin Ibrahim Nyaludibha Shop	Baygon (12pcs) found	Liberty Street
3	Mama Mwijage Mini Super Market	Baygon (1pc) and kiwi (1pc) found	Liberty Street
4	Patric Shop	Baygon bound	Liberty Street
5	Sammiyya Najib Zaharo Mini Super Market	Baygon (1pc) found	Liberty Street

The operation in Mwanza inloved seizure of 494 pieces of banned cosmetics. The consignment of seized banned cosmetics was handed over to Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority Zonal Office for further legal actions in line with the laws governing offences in that line. The seized banned cosmetics included Carolight (190pcs), Betasol Lotion and carl cream (188), Diproson Cream (20 pcs) Diproson lition (12 pcs), Cocoderm (18 pcs) and Prolight (18 pcs). All banned cosmetics were seized in a shop owned by one Yassin Ibrahim Nyaludibha.

Other shops that were also searched but no counterfeits were found in them include Iman Shop, Lake Printing Works Ltd., Sahara Shop, George Mwendeshe Lukoninga, Joyce Kwandu Kichiba, Emmanuel Joseph Sisha, Abogast Marko Mhalagani, Aron Kisasa Shop and Dunia Mashala Ng’wanaomu.

Similarly, The operation in Arusha netted a number of counterfeit products as indicated hereunder:

No	Shop/Owner	Products	Location
1	Highland Hardware	Lorenzetti heater 1pc	Sokoine street
2	Baltazari Mallya	Lorenzetti heater 3pcs	Sokoine street
3	CBK trading	Lorenzetti heater  40pcs	Near Sheikh Amri Abeid Stadium
4	Angelika Quality store	Lorenzetti heater 2pcs	Levolusi street
5	Maria Inocent Massawe	Nivea lotion 1pc
6	Baraka Mangaro Nkya	Nivea lotion 11pcs	Annex street
7	Shamika Enterprises	Nivea lotion 28pcs	Kaloleni street
8	Super cosmetics	Nivea lotion 56 pcs
9	Janet cosmetics	Nivea lotion 34 pcs
10	Felix O Kimario	Nivea lip shine 5 pcs	Levolosi street
11	Raymond Cosmetics	Nivea lotion 28pcs	Zaramo street

Almost all offenders have complied with the Merchandise Marks Act offence compoundment procedure and have paid requisite fines, while their goods await proper destruction procedures.

One MMA offender, M/S Shamika Enterprises, indicated her intention to pursue ordinary court route to challenge the penalisation process and her case has been transferred to appropriate enforcement channel under the Criminal Procedure Act.

All operations were conducted in collaboration with representatives of brand owners  of the seized counterfeits and the police officers.

The FCC team of inspectors, also conducted dawn raids in four points of wholesale and retail sales suspected to stock counterfeited Tiger Head Batteries on 9^th April, 2014. The points are Neema Investment, Nancy shop, Mtei shop, and Setway shop as well as their interlinked godowns located in Unga Limited, Moromboo and Mbauda areas. No stocks of counterfeited Tiger Head Batteries were found in them.

The efforts complements Commission’s regular inspections at entry points and 7 other dawn raid operations conducted in privately owned shops and warehouses suspected to stock counterfeit goods in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza Regions between 1^st July 2013 and 11^th April, 2014. The said operations led to seizure of various counterfeit goods, including 240 containers with assorted counterfeit goods valued at more than TShs 200m/- and penalisation of 171 traders for contravening the provisions of the Merchandise Marks Act (1963), as amended. Some of the counterfeit goods seized during the said 7 dawn raid operations include counterfeited Samsung, NOKIA and TECNO mobile phones totaling at more than 400 pieces, IPS pipes (738 pieces), 1,248 pieces of countefeit Simba Sports Club Sports gears, Mosquito nets, 1,166 pieces of various Phillips electrical appliances, 12,053 cards of counterfeited Gillette shaving blades, 19 MEM Main Switches.

The Dawn Raid operations covering all premises suspected to stock counterfeit goods is an on going countrywide operation aimed at apprehending and bringing to justice all offenders, whose acts infringe the intellectual property rights of brand and IP holders, the economy and consumer rights.

Issued by the Chief Inspector of the Merchandise Marks Act

CHIEF INSPECTOR, MMA

22^nd April, 2014