The Civil Court has ordered Customs to hold uncleared goods from Executive Enterprises in a case involving the company's alleged import of counterfeit or fake cigarettes of the Camel brand.
CGT, the only authorized distributor and seller of the Camel brand in the Maldives for the past 20 years, sought the injunction over Executive Enterprises' import of cigarettes under the brand name.
Ahead of filing a lawsuit, CGT informed the Civil Court that a 20 or 30-day period was needed to gather evidence and submit the case.
Prior to that, the company filed for an injunction or stay order as allowed by the law.
According to the filing, Executive Enterprises recently imported 200 cases of cigarettes and cleared 10 cases through Customs. The other 190 cases remained at a bonded warehouse.
CGT submitted six documents as evidence to seek the injunction.
- Photos of goods imported to the Maldives by Executive Enterprises
- Photo of the label placed on goods imported by CGT
- Photo showing difference between Camel original and counterfeit cigarettes
- Photo showing difference between Executive's cigarette cartons and CGT's cigarette cartons.
- Letters sent to CGT by Camel brand owner Japan Tobacco's JTI
- Affidavits from a buyer and user of the counterfeit products.
In an order issued yesterday after reviewing the case, Judge Aishath Azfa Abdul Gafoor prohibited Executive Enterprises from conducting any transactions with the products as questions have been raised about their origins.
The court also ordered Customs to stop the clearance process and hold goods that have not been cleared yet.
The order was issued in absentia without the respondent in attendance at court.
