Police seized fake goods worth 400,000 euros from flea market stalls in Estepona
The seizures came after officers searched ten vehicles allegedly belonging to market stall holders. The sting operation took place around the flea market that was set up inside the Estepona marina. Agents seized 2,954 items of allegedly counterfeit luxury goods including Christian Dior towels, Chanel scarves, and Louis Vuitton bags.
Judicial proceedings have begun and investigations are continuing into the source of the goods.
Police in Portugal seized fake goods
In July of this year, the Spanish Guardia Civil and the Portuguese National Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana), and the Authority for Food and Economic Security (ASAE, Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica), supported by Europol, dismantled an organised crime group involved in the production and trafficking of counterfeit clothing, accessories and luxury goods.
The investigation was triggered in 2019 by a statement from an association of brand representatives. They reported the sale of counterfeit goods in the Spanish towns of La Jonquera and Els Límits, close to the French-Spanish border.
The Guardia Civil uncovered an organised crime group behind that activity. The suspects were importing ready-to-sell counterfeit items from Portugal, which were manufactured there. They were also buying non-branded products to which they were adding different counterfeit labels imported from China.
For example, they were embossing metal labels on non-branded belts and bags. All these items were then sold as genuine in different shops in the area. During the whole investigation, more than 20 shops selling counterfeit items were searched. Overall, the clothes, leather accessories, and shoes seized during the action day are estimated to be worth €16.5 million.
