RIYADH: The Makkah municipality confiscated 30 tons of counterfeit goods and products during a raid at the Bakr market on Mansour Street behind the Red Crescent recently.

"A joint committee of municipal representatives conducted an investigation on markets selling fake products,” Misfalah Abdullah Qsada, director of management services, told Sabq online newspaper.

Other participants in the raid included representatives from the municipality’s control group for commercial markets and the public administration for cleanliness, as well as a number of security agencies.

He added that the municipal representatives also conducted field tours and visited other places such as souks believed to be engaged in selling phony products to the detriment of the public.

Ahmed bin Saeed Assa’edi, head of the commercial market surveillance team, said, ”Aside from timber and furniture, other items confiscated included iron and miscellaneous goods." He said that the confiscated goods were destroyed in accordance with municipality rules.

He said the crackdown will continue through random inspection in markets to ensure that customers are not shortchanged and get a fair deal.