The seized counterfeit goods on display.

Hissa Saif, Staff Reporter

Ras Al Khaimah: A joint team comprising personnel from the Ras Al Khaimah Police's Criminal Investigations Department, along with the Commercial Control and Protection Department at the Emirate's Department of Economic Development, has successfully seized 650,468 counterfeit items of international brands with an estimated market value of Dhs23 million.

Three Arabs have been apprehended and subsequently referred to the Public Prosecution.

Brigadier Ahmed Saeed Mansour, the Acting Director General of Police Operations, commended the collaborative efforts of the joint work teams, which resulted in the successful confiscation of a considerable quantity of counterfeit goods and materials from various brands of cosmetics, accessories, and other products.

Revealing circumstances of the case, Colonel Omar Al Oud Al Tunaiji, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department, explained that a letter had been received from the Department of Economic Development stating that two warehouses in an area of the Emirate were being used to store counterfeit goods and materials for international brands of cosmetics and accessories.

A joint task force was then promptly established by the Organised Crimes Section at the Criminal Investigations Department and the Commercial Control and Protection Department at the Department of Economic Development. The task force put the two warehouses under surveillance for several days, during which they found suspicious loading and storage operations. Necessary authorisation was obtained from the Public Prosecution and the warehouses were raided, resulting in the confiscation of over 650,000 counterfeit items. Furthermore, three Arab nationals were apprehended and formally charged by the relevant authorities.