Jamaican Police Seize Millions In Counterfeit Shoes

KINGSTON, Jamaica, August 28, 2019 (CMC) – The Jamaican police force says it has seized several counterfeit goods, as students prepare to return to school, early next month.

The Counter Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) said there has been an increase in the sale of counterfeit goods.

Assistant Superintendent, Victor Barrett, Head of the Intellectual Property Unit at C-TOC, is urging people to be on the lookout for fake brands, warning that law enforcement authorities would be increasing their surveillance against the illicit trade.

“When you look at the counterfeit barometer, there was a down tick, and suddenly…there has been an uptick in the counterfeit barometer, and as such, the police, we are going to ramp up our operations”.

“What we are doing here, is within the tandem of the Trademark Act. So we are enforcing the law,” he said, noting that at a business place in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, the police, acting on intelligence “and on close inspection, we discovered a large quantity of counterfeit shoes”.

He said the counterfeit shoes, bearing several reputable brand names, were valued at J$20 million have since been seized.