Authority raises alarm over counterfeit Dettol in Tanzania
What you need to know:
- Two foreign nationals from a neighbouring country have been arrested in connection with the fake disinfectant, which was packaged in bottles of 50ml, 125ml, 250ml, 500ml, and one litre, bearing counterfeit labels intended to resemble the original product.
Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Medicines and Medical Devices Authority (TMDA) has sounded the alarm over counterfeit liquid Dettol products discovered being illicitly manufactured in a guesthouse on Namanga Street, Kahama town, Shinyanga Region.
Two foreign nationals from a neighbouring country have been arrested in connection with the fake disinfectant, which was packaged in bottles of 50ml, 125ml, 250ml, 500ml, and one litre, bearing counterfeit labels intended to resemble the original product.
In a statement issued on Saturday, August 16, 2025, TMDA Director General Adam Fimbo said the fake products were uncovered through routine market surveillance.
He explained that the crackdown followed intelligence reports received by TMDA, which prompted a joint inspection with the Police Force at a guesthouse identified as New Kishimbe Lodge in Kahama.
“Inside one of the lodge’s rooms occupied by the two suspects, we found raw materials and equipment, including chemicals, empty Dettol bottles, labels, dyes, large containers and liquid substances,” said Mr Fimbo.
He confirmed that the suspects have since been handed over to law enforcement authorities, with legal procedures already underway to arraign them in court in line with national laws.
How to spot the fakes
Mr Fimbo said consumers can detect the counterfeit products by scrutinising batch numbers.
He revealed that some of the fake bottles carried falsified codes such as ‘P08 08 24R25’ and ‘P08 02 24R25’.
“The caps on the counterfeit bottles lack the lock connecting them to the lower ring, making them easy to open. While the labels resemble genuine ones, the fake versions peel off easily and differ noticeably in appearance,” he said.
He urged consumers to examine labels carefully before use and to report any suspected counterfeit products immediately to TMDA offices or police stations.
Mr Fimbo also directed traders to purchase Dettol only from authorised distributors and to demand receipts for every transaction.
“TMDA strongly warns any individual, group, network, or company engaged in the manufacture, distribution, or sale of counterfeit or substandard medicines, disinfectants, medical devices, and reagents that stern legal action awaits them,” he cautioned.
He further appealed to the public to continue reporting to TMDA or the police whenever they encounter violations of the Medicines and Medical Devices Act, Cap 219, to safeguard public health.
However, some traders interviewed said it was often difficult to verify whether products stocked in wholesale outlets were genuine or counterfeit.
“Education for traders and the public is vital so that we can identify whether the goods we buy and supply to the community are authentic or not,” said a shopkeeper in Tabata, Dar es Salaam, Mr Juma Omary.
