The creep of fake goods from China is being noticed almost all over the world, the recent cases being reported at the United Arab Emirates where fraudsters target users of high-end cars with fake spare parts.
In a shocking revelation, mechanics have reported rampant cases of fake alloy wheels that buckle over speed bumps, counterfeit spark plugs, air filters and break pads made from compressed grass all targeting Mercedes-Benz and BMW users.
The counterfeits are cleverly camouflaged in almost perfect copies of packaging for the goods, with untrained or careless mechanics unable to differentiate between an original and fake spare part.
A story published by a local daily, The National, experts reveal that the spare parts are expertly dyed to look like the original in a bid to deceive the eye of the mechanic, as well as the buyer.
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“The counterfeit boxes are very good. The holograms and printed part numbers look real but as soon as you take (the item) out of the box a trained professional should notice immediately the weight and feel is wrong. The worst case I’ve seen is when I was working at Toyota and we found brake pads that were made out of dried grass. They had been packed and dyed to look like rubber. It was frighteningly dangerous,” said Julian Redman, managing director of operations at SilberArrows, a garage specialising in Mercedes-Benz in Al Quoz, as quoted by The National.
Most of the fake spare parts are reportedly made in China and smuggled into the middle East Country.
This comes as the global fake trades hits a net worth of USD461 billion (Ksh46.1 trillion) a year.
In Kenya, the government has seized contraband and counterfeit goods worth Ksh7.5 billion and a total of 179 foreigners arrested and charged in court since the Multi-Agency Committee was formed in May to fight the menace.
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