DuPont refrigerants has wrapped up a five-year fight against a UAE-based trader, suspected of trading in counterfeit refrigerants in a case with links to Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
The trader was first identified in late 2007 after a market survey. DuPont then confirmed its target in 2008 by purchasing refrigerants from the trader – found to be cylinders of R-22 refrigerant gas that were imported from China and then relabelled under the DuPont brand.
Police conducted a raid on the UAE warehouse in late 2009, seizing counterfeit refrigerant cylinders, machines, printing templates, and counterfeit packaging for DuPont refrigerants. Once the counterfeit operation was confirmed, police issued an arrest warrant for the owner.
According to a statement issued by DuPont, before the owner could be arrested he resumed the counterfeiting operation in the warehouse in early 2010.
The warehouse was raided a second time, this time yielding valve shrink wrap, printing screens and machinery, filling machinery, invoices, records and correspondence. The filling machinery was evidence that the warehouse was being used to fill containers with generic gas and other products.
The owner of the warehouse was arrested, and sentenced to two years in prison for the crime of counterfeiting.
“This case is another example of the DuPont commitment to fight counterfeit refrigerants globally,” said Greg Rubin, global business manager, DuPont Refrigerants. “We are working with customs officials and law enforcement in every region of the world to ensure these cases can be pursued and prosecuted. We are determined in our pursuit of counterfeiters due to the safety risks inherent in the production and distribution of these illegal and potentially harmful products.”