A criminal group responsible for manufacturing and selling fake DuPont PPE in Morocco has been sentenced to up to five years in prison.
The fraud was uncovered when staff at a cosmetic clinic in Casablanca raised concerns about the quality of the protective garments they had received. As the police investigated the products seized from the clinic, they discovered face masks carrying the DuPont Oval logo and DuPont Tyvek trademarks. DuPont had previously reached out to law enforcement to help them understand which products are manufactured from Tyvek so investigators were aware that the material is not used in face masks.
With the products verified as fake, the police were able to track down the five men responsible for manufacturing the goods. The investigation found that the group had produced the counterfeit protective garments locally and then distributed them across the country.
The men were charged with selling counterfeit goods that threaten the health and safety of the medical teams. During the trial, the prosecution noted that supplying fake PPE was a particularly severe offense when the world struggles to stop the spread of COVID-19, and there is a global shortage of PPE.
To make a stand against counterfeiting and to further highlight the issue, DuPont joined the local prosecutor’s case to seek compensation for the damages relating to the unauthorised use of its trademark. The judge gave the verdict in DuPont’s favor, awarding the company 100,000 Moroccan dirhams (the equivalent of around $11,000) damages. The counterfeit garments were destroyed.
“Fake PPE is a serious health risk, and it is our collective responsibility to do everything we can to tackle the issue,” said David Domnisch, Global Business Director, DuPont Personal Protection. “By actively working with authorities to train on spotting counterfeit PPE, by identifying and investigating reports of suspicious products, and by prosecuting offenders to the full extent of the law, we can work to eliminate these dangerous goods from the market. DuPont Personal Protection is committed to ensuring that PPE products bearing our brands meet the high standards of quality and protection that our customers have come to expect and trust.”
