Training and advancing skills of Police officers is critical to effectively address prevailing incidences of illicit pharmaceuticals and counterfeit products. The Deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of Administration and Personnel, Juvenal Marizamunda made the remarks at the opening of a four-day workshop on anti-counterfeit and pharmaceutical crimes, which started in Kigali yesterday.. The meeting organised by Rwanda National Police in partnership with the international police organisation, Interpol, brought together 30 police officers attached to the RNP 'Anti-Counterfeit and Illegal Pharmaceutical Unit' along with other partners from the ministries of, Health, Agriculture, Trade and Industry, Rwanda Revenue Authority, Rwanda Standards Bureau, and National Pharmacy Council, among others. DIGP Marizamunda said RNP has committed and embarked on the inevitable task of equipping its personnel with required skills to fight the vice, adding that the workshop is an opportunity for stakeholders to share experience and gain new knowledge and skills from highly experienced experts in the field of combating counterfeit products. "Counterfeits including fake medicine represent a global challenge. Despite their undeniable benefits, globalisation of markets and rapid advancements of technology have facilitated proliferation of counterfeit products," Marizamunda said. "It is sad to realise that we live in a world in which some criminals are willing to maximise profits by selling counterfeit products but it is a reality we must face and ensure we are more proactive in dealing with them.” He noted that counterfeit and illegal pharmaceutical pose serious risks to public health and safety, and affects genuine businesses by undermining quality, fair competition, confidence of customers and credibility of the involved firms and countries. He added that such products also deprive governments and legitimate businesses of income, discourage innovation and creativity, and provide an easy source of revenue for organised crimes. With regard to pharmaceutical crimes, DIGP Marizamunda said, no country is immune from the threat posed by fake medicines, and Rwanda is no exception. "Therefore, it is our firm conviction that importing, selling and using fake medicines is a serious criminal offense that puts human lives at risk and undermine the credibility of our health systems,” the DIGP said. "In the face of trans-boundary threats, we continuously coordinate with our national and international partners especially the Interpol since 2008; in which counterfeit and illegal pharmaceuticals were seized,” he said. In order to effectively respond to such crimes, RNP established a specialised 'Anti-Counterfeit and Illegal Pharmaceutical Unit' in February this year. Since its inception, the unit has sent some of its personnel to Europe for training while others trained locally. "We strongly believe that our success will depend on the robust partnership with all stakeholders at national and international levels. Well trained and equipped human resources are what we need in order to fight the proliferation of counterfeit products,” Marizamunda said. Speaking at the same workshop, Interpol’s Assistant Director for Trafficking in Illicit Goods and Counterfeiting unit, Michael Ellis said that for the past year, counterfeit products worth over US$ 550 million have been seized and criminal groups dismantled. "It is a sad fact and our experience shows how these organised criminals are engaged in highly sophisticated transnational enterprises that cover all regions of the world, determined to reach a single goal of making large financial gains as a result of their activities. With money hidden in one country, IP servers in another, production in a third, distribution via hubs in a forth, retail in a fifth and the suspects mastermind lives in a sixth such investigation can be very complex indeed,” Ellis said. Ellis observed that illicit trade is on the increase, which is a threat to the social welfare of the people, the economy, inward investment, innovation, research and development. "Imagine the impacts of fake baby formulas, fake baby foods, with no nutrients, or fake cough mixture for children containing dangerous chemicals and ingredients… imagine fake alcohol, fake foodstuffs and counterfeit Agro chemicals” Ellis wandered, as he gave examples of counterfeits and fake pharmaceutical products. RNP’s Commissioner for CID, ACP Theos Badege, noted that the workshop is the third phase in empowering the anti-counterfeits and illegal pharmaceutical unit through professionalisation. "As CID, we understand this workshop as part of the general efforts in combating crimes and counterfeit in particular. Figures of counterfeits and illegal pharmaceutical products project an increase in these crimes mainly with products entering the country.” He attributed increasing figure to the fact that RNP has gained skills to identify, disrupt and dismantle such products and increasing public awareness and reporting of such crimes.

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