New Delhi, July 27 (PTI) Creating awareness about counterfeit and smuggled items is a must as it will act as a deterrent for the illicit market operations and give fillip to the economy, said a senior police officer.

Vivek Gogia, Special Commissioner of Police (Training), while addressing a training programme organised by FICCI CASCADE (Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy), said various studies have showed that counterfeiting and smuggling is largest in medicines, cigarettes and drugs and partnerships among stakeholders are vital in addressing this issue.

He highlighted the menace of illicit trade funding organised crime and stressed that protection of rights will take a key role in the growth of the Indian economy

"It has high significance for Indian industries as profit margins and survival depends on the infringement of IP rights," Gogia said.

The capacity building programme was aimed to sensitise police officers to stress on the importance of continued awareness and seriousness of the impact of counterfeit and smuggled goods.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)