RIYADH: An inspection team from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry closed down a factory in Madinah for forging products, poor sanitation and the use of counterfeit materials.

Acting on a tip-off, the inspection team raided the production unit located on a farm in Madinah where they found a large quantity of deceptive raw materials for the preparation of different types of soap, hand wash, liquid and dry detergents in addition to large amounts of poor quality tissue papers.

A spokesman at the ministry said here on Wednesday that they were using counterfeit materials for marketing these products.

The official said that during the raid the team found that they had prepared the packages falsifying the country of origin by writing “Made in Turkey.” The inspectors also found violations of the ministry’s guidelines with the nonavailability of the necessary requirements for the storage and packaging of these products.

They also noticed poor hygiene and lack of infrastructure, and hence decided to shut down the factory. The inspection team also seized 150,000 packets of multiple varieties of detergents.

Moreover, the counterfeit products and materials were seized as they pose health risks to consumers, while all those responsible for forgery and poor sanitation have been summoned by the concerned authorities for further legal proceedings as the matter is under investigation.

The ministry said in a statement that legal penalties will be imposed on offenders for putting public health and safety at risk.

The ministry called on the public to report such fraudulent practices to the ministry's observation team through the toll free number 1900.