Counterfeiting continues to make the news. Locally,
we've just had a report of a R10 million bust in the
Vereeniging area, during which fake soaps, shampoos, clothing and
bags were seized, and seven suspects from Malawi, Mozambique and
China (no surprises there), were taken into custody.
But we are increasingly getting reports of counterfeiting in
product areas that go way beyond the traditional stomping ground of
FMCG and luxury goods. It's now well known that there is
a huge market in fake prescription drugs – these goods are
sold online, and a considerable number of deaths have been
attributed to their use. The problem of fake drugs has become
so serious that the major pharmaceutical companies have teamed up
with Interpol to establish a program that's aimed at training
law enforcement officers to identify fake prescription drugs.
