Undercover cops to nab fake mobile phone vendors

Officers will conduct inspections on popular spots that allegedly sell fake mobile phones to the public.

PETALING JAYA: Recently appointed Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism minister Hamzah Zainuddin warned unscrupulous mobile phone vendors today that his ministry has deployed undercover officers to help curb the sale of fake mobile phones to the public.

“Beware of Pak Lebai (a term for undercover officers), as we have undercover officers checking on suspected traders,” he warned.

Speaking at a press conference, Zainuddin said that his ministry had also taken other steps to deal with the issue of fake mobile phones.

“We have an agency that’s in charge of verifying and setting standards for original products. This has helped customers a lot,” he said.

However, Hamzah noted that there were still many individuals who opted for cheap mobile phones and that this consumer preference had contributed to the demand of such mobile phones in the market.

“There are certain people who still prefer to buy cheap mobile phones. This is also a problem to us,” he said.

Hamzah added that his ministry had also been conducting unannounced raids on suspected stores in popular areas.

“Previously when the raids were planned, there are vendors who took the opportunity to close early upon receiving such info,” he said. “Now, we will conduct unannounced raids so that these shops don’t have the opportunity to close early,” he said.