Raid damages regional trade in counterfeit printing supplies

ACCRA, Ghana, September 12, 2011 – HP has announced a significant local seizure of counterfeit printing supplies destined for HP printers. The company supported Ghanaian law enforcement officials who confiscated nearly 1,100 illegal items in a highly coordinated strike.

The police action in May saw authorities raid retail outlets in the city center, seizing a total of 125 finished fake inkjet and 970 counterfeit ready-for-sale laser print cartridges intended for illegal use.

Ghanaian officials detained six people associated with the counterfeiting operation. It’s expected that intelligence obtained during the raids will lead to additional anti-counterfeit actions.

“HP appreciates the strong cooperation of Ghanaian law enforcement to help protect our customers from the inferior standards and potential risks of counterfeits,” said Adnane Besri, Laser & Enterprise Manager, Imaging and Printing Group, HP Africa. “People who buy counterfeit print cartridges and other fake merchandise believe mistakenly that they’re receiving original products, and they deserve the high quality and performance for which they’re paying.”
Over the last four years, HP has assisted in the seizure of nearly nine million pieces of fake printing supplies products and components in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Through its Anti-counterfeiting Programme, HP actively educates its customers and partners to be vigilant against fake printing supplies. It also cooperates closely with local and global law enforcement to detect and dismantle illegal operations that produce counterfeit HP printing components.


Globally, HP has conducted nearly 5,000 investigations in almost 90 countries over the last four years, resulting in the seizure of more than 30 million units of counterfeit cartridges and components over this same time period. Investigations and actions have occurred on every continent except Antarctica, and any enforcement action is lead by either police (criminal) or an administrative organization.
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Editorial Contacts

Danelle White, HP
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Matthew Ansah
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matthew.ansah@sesema.com

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