Sharjah Economic Development Department “SEDD” seized 129 gas cylinders, 97 of which are in violation of the laws, 22 expired gas cylinders and 10 cylinders of gas from an unauthorized location as part of their plans to preserve the intellectual property of trademarks. Such thing falls within SEDD efforts to apply the Executive Council Resolution No. 22 of 2010 regarding the manufacture, packaging and circulation of gas cylinders in the Emirate Sharjah. Also, it is done as part of SEDD’s efforts to control markets, face all negative phenomena and violations of laws, and to reduce the damage to public security, public health and the environment in the markets of the emirate. Likely, it is done as part of the periodic control campaigns carried out by SEDD’s commercial officers on commercial establishments in different regions of the Emirate of Sharjah.

From his side, HE SEDD Chairman said that the Department will never be negligent in protecting the emirate's markets from this category, which is working to achieve material gains at the expense of people and their safety through commercial fraud. HE also added that it will carry on its role to protect the community from those who try to harm its members and to make quick and illegal profits.

Furthermore, HE pointed out that the control of this quantity indicates the insistence of this group to harm the community and the owners of trademarks in return for achieving high material gains. In addition, HE praised the role of the Commercial Control and Protection Department that is done through periodic inspections to protect intellectual property and investors as well as consumers and thus support the safety of the markets of the Emirate at all levels.

Salim Al Suwaidi, Deputy Director of Commercial Control and Protection Department at SEDD, said that the Department works continuously to monitor the markets to protect them against all phenomena of fraud, and violation of laws.

He added that the seized products were found in one of the industrial areas and an immediate action was taken to stop such violation in cooperation with the concerned entities. It is worth mentioning that the violators forged the brand of the approved gas companies and paste them on the counterfeit cylinders. He pointed out that a team was set up to investigate the case and found that the gas cylinders are transported through transport vehicles that do not meet the requirements of security and safety.

Moreover, Al Suwaidi emphasized that the Department receives complaints from licensed companies to sell gas cylinders in the emirate about the provision of gas cylinders by groups and individuals at prices lower than the authorized ones, pointing out that this phenomenon causes many losses, which is paid to extract licenses to sell such cylinders.