As Jamaicans remain utterly dumbfounded at the news that counterfeit packages of a popular brand of local curry power were seized in Manchester earlier this week, the police are working with the official manufacturer to determine the ingredients in the fake packages.
The Counter-Terrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) conducted a raid on a supermarket in Mandeville, Manchester on Wednesday, and a “large quantity” of the counterfeit items was reportedly seized.
From preliminary estimates, the goods are valued at approximately $3.2 million.
A Chinese national has reportedly been arrested in connection with the seizure.
“It is a sad day for us because these…, they have no care whatsoever about the human element. All they care about is making money,” said Deputy Superintendent of Police, Victor Barrett, the head of C-TOC’s Intellectual Property Rights Unit.
“The counterfeit goods are not good for you,” he indicated.
In a follow-up interview, Barrett said the police are working closely with the genuine manufacturer of the brand to conduct tests on the fake curry in order to determine what is contained inside the product.
“We don’t really know,” said the law enforcer relative to what is contained in the packets of counterfeit curry.
Barrett said the persons behind the creation of the fake goods “went ahead and trademarked that (genuine) brand.
“I don’t want to call the name because you don’t want people to disassociate with the (genuine) brand, and then… they might lose money,” he explained.
After trademarking the genuine brand, Barrett said the individuals packaged that brand “with elements or components of curry, so a man buys that thinking they are buying the real brand, but really don’t know what’s inside there.”
While police and other stakeholders are working towards determining what is contained in the counterfeit packages, Jamaicans on social media have been expressing serious concerns about the development.
“From wah day mi a buy the curry and the meat white and it nuh look like original curry weh mi used to,” said a woman on Instagram.
“From wah day the curry nah curry!” said another woman who seemingly sought to make light of the serious situation.
A woman agreed, adding, “Bought some (curry) the other day and me tell you, it bitter and sick me stomach.”
Opined a man: “Mi nuh think the curry fake; it just a counterfeit packaging.”
Said another man: “I’m more concerned about the health risks involved. Is it widespread, meaning, is the alleged fake curry being passed off as the genuine product in… supermarkets in Jamaica?”
Meanwhile, a woman expressed hope that the relevant authorities will move speedily to determine what is contained in the packets of counterfeit items.
“The police need to move urgently on this one, and test it. People health at risk enuh man,” she added.
