The police Interpol and international relations department has this morning addressed the press about their operation Codenamed “Fagia” that was meant to get rid of counterfeit goods from the market.
Fred Yiga, the Director Interpol showed samples of counterfeit goods that were confiscated. Some of these include oil (Total), toothpaste (Colgate), among others.
He says police is there to protect locals from such fake goods that are hiding behind big brands. “Where is the value and effect of these products on cars and people’s lives?” Yiga wondered.
He says that most of these products are manufactured here in Uganda, in basements of major buildings in the city.
“Some of these goods are manufactured in dungeons down there. You enter a building and there are stair cases taking you down at the bottom of these buildings. So as a building owner, what standards have you set? As long as you give them rent, then what happens in these buildings is to whom it would concern.
Yiga asked the press to work together with his directorate to ensure such products do not cross the border. “We need to work together. What we did last week was a tip of the ice bag, there is a lot happening down town, everywhere. We must address it, because if we don’t, the effects are going to show in our communities in the near future” he added.
Yiga also called upon brand owners to help protect their products instead of waiting for police to track these fake goods.
