Premixed coffee seized in raids

Imitation products: Sabah Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry Enforcement personnel checking sachets of the fake premix coffee.

KOTA KINABALU: The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry has crippled an operation distributing fake premixed instant coffee.

The ministry’s enforcement chief Suhaimi Mat Sari said nearly 40,000 sachets bearing imitations of the popular Tongkat Ali with Ginseng by CNI Global (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd were seized from several premises here on Friday.

He said samples of the premixed coffee with a value of nearly RM60,000 would be sent to the Chemistry Department for analysis.

“We believe this operation has been going on in Sabah for six months,” Suhaimi said, adding that the fake products are mainly being sold in coffee shops.

“The raid was conducted following a complaint by the trademark owner who found the lookalike product widely sold in the state,” he told reporters in Inanam near here.

Suhaimi said representatives of company present during the raid found the imitation products bearing different code number stickers from those issued by the company.

He said the owner of the errant premises would be charged under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011.

According to him, the counterfeit products were sold at RM1.50 a sachet - the same price as the original - and that it was difficult to differentiate the two.

He added the fake premixed coffee was believed to have been manufactured in the peninsula.

No arrests have been made so far.