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Nigerian Authorities Execute Seizure of Fake Printing Supplies for HP Printers

By Erin B 02/03/2012 12:57:00

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Author: Seun Odia
Posted to the web: 7/20/2011 10:59:19 AM

LAGOS, Nigeria, 20 July 2011,- HP announced a large local seizure of counterfeit printing supplies destined for HP printers. The company supported Nigerian law enforcement officials who confiscated nearly 6,500 illegal items in a highly coordinated strike.

Authorities raided an illicit workshop and four connected retailers, seizing a total of 3,600 ready-for-sale laser print cartridge counterfeits, 1,800 fake flat boxes and almost 950 empty laser print cartridges intended for illegal use.

Police arrested four people associated with the counterfeiting operation. Additional intelligence obtained during the raid led to the capture of a key figure in the local counterfeiting scene.

Through its Anti-counterfeiting Programme, HP actively educates its customers and partners to be vigilant against fake printing supplies. It also cooperates closely with local and global law enforcement to detect and dismantle illegal operations that produce counterfeit HP printing components.

Worldwide consortiums such as Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy (BASCAP) marshal the collective experience and efforts of leading global brands to educate businesses and society at large on the dangers and folly of using counterfeits. The organisation also actively cooperates with international and local law enforcement authorities to identify, dismantle and arrest fraudulent producers.

HP, an active BASCAP member, knows all too well the nefarious consequences of fake goods. HP is actively protecting its valued customers and partners as well as its significant investments in imaging and printing research from counterfeit printing supplies.

In Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) the market for printing supplies is nearly 30 billion Euros[1].

HP and local law enforcement officials have recently undertaken successful actions that are disrupting the presence of counterfeiters and their ability to introduce inferior product. For example, in the UAE in March, authorities executed the largest seizure of counterfeit printing supplies destined for HP printers, more than 770,000 pieces. Later in the year, in Kenya, officials intercepted a shipment from China at the nationâ's largest sea port, in Mombasa, seizing more than 140,000 pieces of counterfeit printing supplies destined for HP printers, the largest seizure HP has recorded in this country. Over the last four years, HP has assisted in the seizure of nearly nine million pieces of fake printing supplies products and components in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.[2]

The company expects to intensify the pressure on these illegal purveyors because when it comes to counterfeiters, thereâ's nothing fake or phony about the problems they pose to global trade.

Globally, HP has conducted nearly 5,000 investigations in almost 90 countries over the last four years, resulting in the seizure of more than 30 million units of counterfeit cartridges and components over this same time period. Investigations and actions have occurred on every continent except Antarctica, and any enforcement action is lead by either police (criminal) or an administrative organization.

About HP

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The worldâ's largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure at the convergence of the cloud and connectivity, creating seamless, secure, context-aware experiences for a connected world. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com.