Counterfeit 'Dettol' plasters seized

A large stock of Counterfeit Dettol plasters were seized from a shop in Pettah by a team of Officers of the Criminal Investigations Department. This action was initiated on a complaint made by Reckitt & Colman (Overseas) Limited together with Reckitt Benckiser (Lanka) Limited the sole agents for Dettol Plasters in Sri Lanka. The representative of the company confirmed that the seized counterfeit Dettol plasters were of inferior quality and had no medicinal value.

The shop owner was arrested and released on bail. When the matter was called on 25.09.09 at the Magistrate's Court in Colombo, Court permitted the CID to keep the seized goods in their custody. The matter is currently fixed for 27.11.09 and the CID is conducting further investigations.

The raids were conducted successfully under the supervision of Director CID Ravi Waidyalankara. According to Waidyalankara "we need to eradicate this menace completely and the counterfeiters must be brought to book. The current IP Act is a stepping stone in achieving our goal, what is required is an enforcement mechanism, as well as interaction of all the stakeholders and the private sector participation. We intend to give priority to pharmaceuticals. If these products are counterfeited, the repercussions would be far greater. Thus, we are currently in the process of establishing an IP Enforcement unit. If the Brand owners are not protected, investors would be reluctant to invest in this country. Therefore, it is our duty to create an investor-friendly environment in this country.

"We are very thankful to the law enforcement authorities for their continued support to help wipe out this health hazard. Our client has improved the packaging of plaster with new graphics and a hologram to help consumers to identify the original Dettol Plaster", Legal Counsel for Reckitt Benkiser (Lanka) Limited, Sudath Perera of Sudath Perera Associates said.