illegal counterfeit activity in large warehouse facilities in Egypt and Mozambique closed down thanks to partnership between HP and local law enforcement agencies
By ; Nahla Ahmed
Local authorities in Egypt and Mozambique successfully seized close to 70,000 illicit HP printer cartridges earlier this year.
Between February and March 2021, law enforcement in Egypt raided several large commercial facilities in Alexandria, Cairo, Giza and Suez, confiscating a total of more than 16,000 illegitimate items. Officials also arrested several vendors who were illegally selling counterfeit HP printer cartridges in those areas.
At the same time, authorities in Mozambique’s Maputo area successfully stopped the distribution and sale of over 52,000 counterfeit HP printer cartridges after raiding the warehouse facilities that were used to store these illegal counterfeit products.
“HP Original cartridges have been designed to consistently deliver quality results and a great user experience. Not only are illegally replicated ink and toner cartridges harmful for the environment, they can also damage hardware, leading to poor product experience for customers. The sale of these unauthorised products is a violation of intellectual property and can have significant consequences for both resellers and distributors,” said Charl Snyman, Managing Director of ISE Market at HP.
“The success of the recent seizures in the region is a testament to the strong partnership HP has with local authorities and partners. We will continue to use our excellent ACF programme to protect customers from unlawful activities.”
Counterfeiting is a crime. For users, illegal cartridge imitations can cause a multitude of problems that can lead to performance and reliability issues. Should your printer break because of using counterfeit printer ink or toner, the manufacturer’s warranty may become invalid.
In contrast, original HP products are designed to meet HP’s strict quality and reliability standards, based on a long history of research, development and testing.
Original HP LaserJet and HP Inkjet cartridges, unlike counterfeits, benefit from superior performance and consistent results. Through its Planet Partners programme, HP also provides a closed loop recycling service to ensure cartridges are kept out of landfill.
Across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) over the last five years, approximately 12 million counterfeits and components have been seized by local authorities, supported by HP.
HP has conducted over 4,500 audits and inspections (CPPAs and CDIs) of partners’ stocks or suspicious deliveries for customers.
Through HP’s Anti-Counterfeit and Fraud (ACF) programme, the company actively educates its customers and partners to be vigilant against fake printing supplies. It also cooperates closely with local and global law enforcement authorities to detect and dismantle illegal operations that produce counterfeit HP printing components.
