Two container loads of counterfeit 'Close Up' toothpaste imported into the country from China in April this year, were on Wednesday destroyed by the Anti Illicit Trade Coalition (AITC) at the Kpone Landfill site.
Documents covering the items in the containers, were declared as television sets destined for Burkina Faso but upon inspection, it showed fake Close-Up toothpastes.
AITC is made up of officials of Customs, Excise and Preventive Service (CEPS), Food and Drugs Board (FDB) the Police and the Trade Mark Owners.
Briefing the press about the destruction exercise, Mr Kwaku Boateng, customer development director of Unilever Ghana Limited, said the destruction was ordered by the court to protect the health of consumers and the image of the trademark owners.
He said early this year, the company had a tip off that some people had placed an order with a Chinese factory to produce fake Close Up toothpaste for shipment to Ghana.
He said Unilever, therefore, relayed the information to the AITC who were placed on high alert.
He said Unilever the registered trademark owner of close up toothpaste manufactures red label Close Up for the Ghanaian market and green label Close Up for the French West African countries as part of its corporate strategy.
Mr Boateng said in April this year, the AITC upon a tipoff seized the two 20 footer containers and after inspection. found the fake green Close Up toothpaste in the containers at the Tema port.
The case was sent to court which ordered the destruction of the items. No one has so far claimed ownership of the products.
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