The National Police has dismantled a corporate scheme that allegedly introduced 2,000 tons of counterfeit soccer clothing, luxury handbags, footwear, watches and high-end phones into Europe since May 2023. It is an operation involving different parts of Spain, including the Balearic Islands, in which 73 people have been arrested and the involvement of nineteen others has been investigated.
During the operation, coordinated by Europol and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), 34 inspections have been carried out in different autonomous communities in which a total of 300,000 articles have been seized, reports the General Police Directorate. In addition to the Balearic Islands, seizures have been made in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Murcia, Tarragona, Guadalajara, Cadiz and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The seized merchandise weighs 117,000,000 kilograms and has a market value of 12.5 million euros.
š©Dismantled a corporate scheme that would have introduced into Europe almost 2,000 tons of counterfeit effects since 2023
š arrested 73 people in different Spanish provinces and 19 others have been investigated
ā”ļø 34 inspections in šŖšø in which they have seized more than… pic.twitter.com/cbLtDynMdP
– National Police (@policia) December 23, 2024
A long investigation
The investigations began in May 2023 in the framework of the surveillance of organizations and criminal groups based in Europe, allegedly related to the manufacture and distribution of counterfeit products, allowed the identification of a group of European companies based in Spain that were engaged in the massive importation of tons of counterfeit clothing and accessories from China, all this in a year marked by the celebration of various sporting events such as the European Championship in Germany and the Olympic Games in Paris, two dates conducive to the purchase of clothing and football teams. All this in a year marked by the celebration of various sporting events such as the European Championship in Germany and the Olympic Games in Paris, two dates favorable for the purchase of clothing for soccer clubs and teams.In addition to importing from the Asian country, the plot was responsible for the distribution of counterfeit goods and subsequent sale in tourist areas and cities of the European Union, as well as through profiles, social networks and websites. The counterfeit products had their own certificates of authenticity and counterfeit guarantee.The investigators identified in Germany and the Netherlands the companies in charge of importing the counterfeit material from China, while they discovered the system used for the introduction of the goods through European airports and ports, in addition to the consignment to different countries for sale and distribution. As a result of these investigations, it was possible to identify the different premises responsible for the sale of the counterfeit goods, especially in coastal areas and in the center of the largest cities in Spain. During the searches, the agents also seized the hardware that the criminal network attached to the white goods to pass them off as the real thing, as well as stickers to stamp on clothing. Those arrested have been charged with alleged crimes against industrial property while the investigation remains open pending the identification and arrest of more people linked to the scheme who, for the moment, have not been located in Spain.
