DUBAI // Statistics that show the UAE is a major transit hub for counterfeit products do not represent reality, a top federal customs official said yesterday.
The UAE had a "well developed" infrastructure to combat the spread of counterfeit products, said Khalid al Bustani, the acting director general of the Federal Customs Authority.
Almost one in seven counterfeit items - including 73 per cent of fake medicines - seized at European borders last year was routed through the UAE, according to a European Commission report earlier this year.
Mr al Bustani said part of the problem was the UAE did not have access to data networks that the EU had on the places of origin of counterfeit products. "In the UAE, we are planning to participate in these networks" to gain access to this data..
Mr al Bustani said that the statistics did not reflect the reality of the situation. "The UAE has a good track record and you can see that by the seizures reported here on a regular basis."
