By Kingsley I.Ilechukwu, Correspondent Lagos

HP and Nigerian authorities have successfully halted the potential sale of over 54,000 counterfeit goods, including ready-for-sale fraudulent toner and ink cartridges.

The Nigerian Police with the assistance from HP Nigeria discovered a massive operation selling counterfeit cartridges for HP printers. As a result, they worked with HP specialists to raid multiple retail and workshop premises in the Lagos area. In the same month, officials of the Nigeria Police carried out further, separate anti-counterfeiting raids in the states of Enugu, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kogi, Lagos, and the Abuja area.

“We are very proud of our ongoing partnership with Nigerian authorities to help safeguard our consumers and partners from illegal, fraudulent activity, as well as working together to bring counterfeiters to justice in Nigeria,” said Director, Global Anti-Counterfeit Programme at HP, Glenn Jones. “The successful removal of counterfeit products from the Nigerian market is a testament to HP’s unwavering efforts and commitment to protecting our customers, and the continued success of our Anti-Counterfeiting and Fraud Programme.”

Counterfeiting is a crime. For users, such illegal imitations can cause a multitude of problems that can lead to performance and reliability issues. Should your printer break because of using counterfeit printer ink or toner, you may have difficulty with your manufacturer’s warranty becoming not applicable.

In contrast, original HP products are designed to meet HP’s strict quality and reliability standards, based on a long history of research, development, and testing. Original HP LaserJet and HP inkjet cartridges, unlike counterfeits, benefit from superior performance and consistent results.

Across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) over the last five years, approximately 12 million counterfeits and components have been seized by local authorities, supported by HP. HP has conducted over 4,500 audits and inspections (CPPAs and CDIs) of partners’ stocks or suspicious deliveries for customers.

Through HP’s Anti-Counterfeit and Fraud (ACF) Programme, the company actively educates its customers and partners to be vigilant against fake printing supplies. It also cooperates closely with local and global law enforcement authorities to detect and dismantle illegal operations that produce counterfeit HP printing components.