Syndicates behind fake medicines
It is not just Louis Vuitton bags that have fake versions. Anything from baby formulas and windscreen wipers to aircraft ball bearings can be counterfeit these days.
It is getting easier to fake products and criminal organisations are increasingly churning out counterfeit goods that harm consumers.
“Everything is being counterfeited these days, not just luxury goods,” said Mr Stefano Betti, a senior counsel at Interpol, who coordinates the international police’s activities against illicit trade and intellectual property crime.
Pharmaceutical products, mainly medicines, are being targeted by counterfeiters, he added, a trend that could have fatal consequences.
Mr Betti was in Singapore last month for a closed-door session conducted by the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) with industry leaders, Interpol and various government representatives, including those from Singapore, to find ways to counter the growing flood of fake goods.
Many of these goods originate from Asia and are smuggled to Europe, with Singapore being one of the ports of transit.
Since 2013, EuroCham has organised workshops with officers from Singapore Customs, bringing in European manufacturers to help educate the authorities here on how best to spot fake goods, said the chamber’s executive director, Ms Lina Baechtiger. The next workshop, to be held later this year, will look at car parts.
Mr Michael Ellis, head of Interpol’s trafficking in illicit goods and counterfeiting unit, said: “Brake pads, windscreens, windscreen wipers, seat belts, the air bags… If I look at a car, every part of it can be counterfeited.”
He added: “Irrespective of your age, where you live… counterfeiting will touch you. And the impact of that is very dangerous.”
Developing technology such as 3D printers could introduce more complexities in these illegal activities, warned Mr Ellis, who coordinates Interpol investigations and training in fighting counterfeiting and illicit trade.
3D printers are machines that can transform digital designs into actual functioning products, “printing” them out layer by layer, typically in plastic, but also in other materials such as different types of metal.
As desktop versions of such printers become more advanced and affordable, they could allow anyone to produce counterfeit products in large quantities, which may be harmful.
“Let’s say fake contact lenses, fake heart valves, fake electrical sockets… I am sure the criminals are already working in these areas,” said Mr Ellis.
Mr Betti said 3D printing will “oblige us to rethink the entire structure” of legal and policing frameworks around counterfeiting.
To address these challenges, said Ms Baechtiger, the private sector has to work closely with governments, sharing intelligence on counterfeit products and paying for equipment that can differentiate a fake product from the genuine article.
Singapore is an example in bringing together private and public expertise, she said.
As an international trade hub, it can be a leader in countering illicit trade and counterfeiting, Ms Baechtiger added.
“Singapore is a clean country, an example for many things in the region… Singapore could be playing a leading role.” – Asia One
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
