DUSHANBE , May 23, Asia-Plus -- Over the past month, more than 90,000 CDs and DVDs of dubious quality have been confiscated in Dushanbe , according to information from the Ministry of State Revenues and Tax Collections.

Tajik tax police chief Qurbon Abdunazarov, has told Asia-Plus raids made by officers from Tajik tax police on shops selling audio and video products has led to closure of more than 35 large shops on selling audio and video products in Dushanbe.  According to him, the confiscated product has been submitted for examination, which is carried out by a special commission comprising representatives from “Tojikstandart” (standardization and metrology agency), tax police, “TojikKino” (cinematography association), security ministry, etc.  

Mr. Abdunazarov claims that a major part of audio and video products being realized in the country is unlicensed and has been imported to Tajikistan illegally.  In the “Gorbushka” shop alone, more than 1,500 audio and video products having no any documents have confiscated, according to him.   .

According to him, the raids to reveal counterfeit audio and video products have been made in the republic for the first time.  “Henceforth, such raids will be regular,” Abdunazarov said, noting that they will carry out such inspections in Khatlon and Sughd provinces as well.

In the meantime, according to information from “Tojikstandart”, Tajikistan does not have special devices to examine quality of audio and video products.  “Some counterfeits practically do not differ from the originals,” said the “Tojikstandart” source, “Therefore, we will probably send samples of the confiscated CDs and DVDs for examination to the Russian Federation .”