The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has closed two warehouses of a skin care center in Dammam after finding more than 180,000 pieces of expired and counterfeit cosmetics there, according to an official statement on Monday.

The measure was taken after ministry officials came to know that the center had plans to refill new bottles with the material and put latest dates on them to market the expired products. The ministry is questioning the center’s owner to take other punitive actions.

The products found inside the warehouses included various types of counterfeit soaps, shampoos and creams, the statement said. “Our officials also noticed equipment used for filling bottles and change expiry dates of products.” The ministry’s squads have been conducting raids at business warehouses in Dammam to make sure they sell genuine goods and prevent sales of goods that harm public health.

“We’ll continue to conduct such raids at suspected shops and warehouses all over the country to ensure they follow the rules and regulations and prevent trade fraud,” a ministry official said. “We’ll not show any leniency toward violating companies and shops and impose tough punishment on them,” the official said.

Last week, the ministry seized 600 counterfeit watches and bags from different shops in Jeddah. Ministry officials called such shop owners for investigation. They said some shops had not placed price tags on products while others failed to issue bills in Arabic.

The ministry urged consumers to contact it on 8001241616 if they find any contaminated or counterfeit products.

A Jeddah-based businessman, who requested anonymity, urged the ministry to revise the country’s anti-counterfeit goods law in order to make it more effective. He also sought tougher punitive measures.