The Mobile Communications Division in the Chamber of Commerce received a warning from one of the security authorities concerning the sale of some counterfeit mobile phones that carry the same brand of certain international companies.
A security apparatus advised the division on counterfeit mobile phones known as “copy” and passed off as originals, which counts as fraud, according to a member of the division’s Board of Directors.
The security authority warned them of trading these phones or else it would begin security sweeps on mobile shops as happened a few weeks ago. All traders and members of the division were addressed to review all the phones and documentation that they carry in store.
A number of shops selling mobiles in central Cairo were subject to security sweeps on April because of the lack of customs clearance documents of sold devices by traders. More than 70 shop owners were arrested. This incident irritated traders who threatened to go on strike until an agreement is reached with the Ministry of the Interior to oblige traders not to sell anonymous mobile devices.
The Egyptian market sales of mobile phones amounted to more than 17.5m phones sold in 2015. It is expected that the market sales will grow slightly despite the non-availability of the US dollar and the high exchange of the Egyptian pound which caused the price of some devices to increase by up to 30%.
