FIA arrests two retailers from Saddar’s Electronics Market

Suspects accused of selling fake Samsung mobile phones

KARACHI: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested on Thursday two retailers during a raid at a shop in Electronics Market in Saddar, over the charge of selling fake mobile phones of a known brand.

According to the FIA, Muhammad Yusuf and Ali Ahmed were found possessing a huge quantity of replica, counterfeited and pirated mobile phones with Samsung logo on them. The raid was conducted in alNajeebi Market on Abdullah Haroon Road, following an enquiry, 03/2017, registered with Anti-Corruption Circle of the FIA in Karachi on the complaint of a brand protection firm, watching over grey markets.

According to the statement issued by the FIA, the suspects said they used to smuggle fake mobile phones of leading brands from Afghanistan, through Chaman border, with the help of traffickers. The statement added that the seized mobile phones are in FIA possession. However, the details of the quantity and their models were not given.

A case has been registered under sections 15 [prohibitions], 156(1)(9) [punishment for offences] of the Customs Act, 1969, read with sections 56 [copyright infringed], 66 [offences of infringement of copyright or other rights conferred by this ordinance] and 66-A [penalty for publishing collections or compendiums of work which have been adapted, translated or modified in any manner without the authority of the owner] of the Copyright Ordinance, 1962, the statement read.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2017.