Emirates: Emirati officials with, the help of HP partners, announced that they have successfully dismantled multiple major counterfeiting schemes designed to assemble and distribute illegal HP printer cartridges in the UAE market.

Between December 2020 and April 2021, local Emirati authorities conducted three major raids on several large-scale counterfeiting storage facilities in the emirates of Dubai and Ajman. The resulting seizures saw local officials confiscate over 207,000 illicit items from various storage sites, preventing their unlawful sale within the UAE.

“Counterfeiting is an illegal activity that not only negatively impacts the businesses of resellers and distributors, but also affects the overall product experience for consumers. HP Original ink supplies have been developed to consistently deliver high quality results and user experience while ensuring minimal environmental impacts” said Vishnu Taimni, vice-president and managing director of Middle East, Turkey and East Africa at HP.

“We’re honoured by our longstanding partnership with Emirati officials and the exceptional success of our Anti-Counterfeiting and Fraud Programme in safeguarding our customers from the illegal sale of fraudulent HP products and remain committed to protect our customers from unlawful activities,” he said.

For users, illegal cartridge imitations can cause a multitude of problems that can lead to performance and reliability issues. Should a 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.