715ab1eae0b49210VgnVCM200000e66411acRCRDapproved/thenational/Articles/Migration/2008-Q2Customs take harder line on fake goods615ab1eae0b49210VgnVCM200000e66411ac____Guidelines formed by Dubai Customs to tackle counterfeit goods will be used across the world.Guidelines formed by Dubai Customs to tackle counterfeit goods will be used across the world.<p>DUBAI // Customs officers today stepped up the fight against fake goods with a set of tough new guidelines to halt the rising tide of counterfeit goods worldwide. The Dubai Declaration, which will be adopted by all countries in the Arab world and the 173 member nations of the World Customs Organisation, will be used as a benchmark to track and seize fake goods as well as fine and convict those who manufacture and trade in counterfeit products.</p> <p>More than Dh20 million (US$5.4m) of fake goods were seized by Dubai Customs investigators last year. They included dangerous toys, fake and potentially lethal medicine and shoddy car parts, which were intended to be installed on thousands of cars and lorries in the Emirates. Under the Dubai Declaration, courts in the city will impose stiffer penalties for those caught importing and exporting fake goods. And to stem the flow of counterfeit medicines traded online and shipped via airmail, X-ray machines have been installed at post offices across the city.</p> <p>Ahmed Butti Ahmed, the director general of Dubai Customs, said: "I will say [to counterfeiters] that this is not your place. "You cannot bring counterfeit goods, you cannot be here. We're in the government to fight you. I will continue to fight you, continue to catch you and will punish you." Mr Ahmed, who unveiled the Dubai Declaration in the Emirates Towers today, said the laws that are already in place to convict counterfeit goods traders would also be more rigidly enforced.</p> <p>"We already have punishments under laws issued by the GCC Council. Sometimes we don't implement it 100 per cent, sometimes we compromise. But now with this declaration we will put more cases through our courts."</p> 22,41,102NNNATIONAL2008051900000020080519000000100ARhttp://adedit.ad.atl.publicus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080519/NATIONAL/623115787AD2008106231157872008051910000000035149897ac8bc76c49210VgnVCM100000e56411ac____615ab1eae0b49210VgnVCM200000e66411ac____3473911ac9a49210VgnVCM200000e66411acRCRDImageArticle Asset captionArticle Asset option8d73a6b925b49210VgnVCM200000e66411ac____615ab1eae0b49210VgnVCM200000e66411ac____01cb67f08d549210VgnVCM200000e66411acRCRD