Dubai Customs confiscates counterfeit medicine worth AED 5 million

This new success for Dubai Customs was accompanying the launched of its Intellectual Property Rights campaign which will be culminated by the organization in Dubai of the 4th Global Congress for Combating Counterfeiting and Piracy from the 4th to the 6th of February 2008.

Around 192,000 of "PLAVIX" pills were found in a container next to a second one container which contained also 363,000 pills.

Lab tests proved that confiscated medicines, shipped from the Mauritius islands, were counterfeit. The shipment was immediately seized and its importers taken to court.

Mr. Ahmed Butti Ahmed, Director General of Dubai Customs said today during a press conference held at Dubai Customs headquarters in the presence of the French ambassador in the UAE, Mr. Patrice Paoli that the shipment consisted of 556,000 pills of "PLAVIX" packed in 20,000 boxes and this is considered one of the largest seized in the region in addition.

"The design of the medicine box, sold for Dhs292 in the market, was so perfectly counterfeited and this is extremely dangerous due to that fact that it would had created confusion among the consumers," he affirmed.

"In addition the composition of the fake drug was totally different from that of the authentic medicine manufactured by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-aventis who owns the trade mark," he added.

Dubai Customs Director General called upon the consumers to be aware of such dangers stressing that Dubai Customs is keen to protect and keep the society safe and secure.

"Dubai Customs are protecting the interests of the pharmaceutical companies and investors in the UAE and are also committed to implement the international agreements and the Federal laws of the UAE thus contributing in the welfare and security in Dubai and turning it into an international leading center for combating counterfeit products," he said.

From his part, the French Ambassador in the UAE, Mr. Patrice Paoli welcomed the efforts of Dubai Customs and the concerned authorities involved in protecting and securing the society from Intellectual Property Rights infringements.

"I would like to thank Dubai Customs for this confiscation which enhances the cooperation agreements between the French authorities and Dubai Customs," he added.

Sanofi-aventis Regional Security Correspondent in Dubai, Mr. Jean-Pierre Braganti explained that this medicine is usually prescribed as an antiplatelet therapy, thus helping in keeping these platelets from sticking together and forming clots.

PLAVIX treatment helps to reduce future events (Heart attacks, strokes and vascular deaths) in those patients who experienced an attack of myocardial infarction, stroke and in those who went through coronary intervention with stent placement.

Dubai Customs in this operation helped in saving the lives of thousands of people.