The Anti-Counterfeit Network (ACN) reported that they had raided the Cooper complex in downtown Kampala and found suspected fraudsters conducting their own upgrades and modifications of iPhones. The raided shop was said to be engrossed in suspicious activities that were potentially related to counterfeiting Apple-branded devices.
The news of the raid by the ACN confirms the ubiquitous nature of the counterfeiting problem across different economies in the world. Counterfeiters in Kampala and other parts of the world have been exploiting the high demand for iPhone devices by infiltrating the market with inferior, replicated copies, especially for high-end iPhone models.
The ACN also notes that the local counterfeiting business has been growing, making it difficult for law enforcement agencies to keep track of the complex network of dubious actors. The latest raid is a forceful signal by the ACN to discourage those engaged in theft and counterfeiting activities in Kampala while maintaining high-level control of the city’s busy electronics market.
In light of the raid, the ACN called on local authorities to immediately take action against counterfeiters by prosecuting them to the fullest extent of the law. As part of its efforts to protect consumers, the ACN also advised citizens to purchase iPhones from authorized dealerships and not succumb to the temptation of buying from dubious and unverified sources.
