An Asian man has been fined AED10,000 after police raided his apartment in Deira, Dubai and found 17 types of fake watches, including counterfeits of several international luxury brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega, and Hublot.
He was arrested after the Anti-Economic Crimes Department received a complaint regarding his illegal activity.
The legal office for the affected brands expressed concern that the sale of counterfeit products damages their brand’s reputation in the UAE.
A statement from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry revealed that the counterfeit watches bear the trademarks of companies that are members of the union, and they were not manufactured by the brand owners.
It said that their examination showed that the watches were manufactured with poor quality and raw materials, and they lacked serial numbers or manufacturing data.
The authorities have reiterated their commitment to cracking down on the sale and distribution of counterfeit products in the country. They encourage the public to report any suspicious activity to help prevent the spread of these illegal activities.
