Skip to main content

The Tax Agency dismantles a marketing network of counterfeit products worth 500 million euros

Blow to the underground economy. The seized products were located in four warehouses in the San Luis industrial estate in Malaga. Operation "Dolphin" is a consequence of the investigations initiated in Irún at the end of 2007 and five people have been arrested. Among the seized merchandise are nearly one million high-end counterfeit watches. It is the largest operation of its kind ever carried out in Europe.

November 27, 2008. At the end of last week, the Tax Agency dismantled an international network of illegal sales of counterfeit products, the seized merchandise of which has a prior estimated value of around 500 million euros at market value. With this operation, which resulted in five arrests and three other people charged and which is still ongoing, the largest organization detected in Spain in the distribution of counterfeit goods has been dismantled.

The huge quantity of counterfeit products, of which a complete count has not yet been made, was stored in four warehouses in the San Luis industrial estate in Malaga. Pending the final count, the number of counterfeit watches seized could exceed one million units of prestigious brands, in addition to false catalogues and documentation related to them, as well as hundreds of thousands of watch batteries that were placed in appalling working conditions by foreign citizens used by the organization as cheap labor.

Thousands of bags, wallets, belts, sports equipment, bottles of cologne, perfumes, trainers, jumpers, copies of films and video games have also been seized. The seizure by the Tax Agency has prevented the goods from reaching the market, causing damage to companies that operate within the law, and is a severe blow to the black economy throughout Europe.

The investigation began at the end of last year when Customs Surveillance officers from the Tax Agency intercepted two trucks in Irún that were transporting 115,000 bottles of counterfeit cologne and perfume from the most well-known brands on the market. Under the direction of the Court of Instruction number one of Irún, the Tax Agency began the appropriate investigations, detecting that citizens of Indian and Pakistani origin, with a high purchasing power, were behind this massive introduction of counterfeit goods from Asian countries using a complex network of intermediary companies for their subsequent distribution. Investigators discovered that the goods from Asian countries and smuggled through different parts of Spain used four industrial warehouses in the San Luis industrial estate in Malaga as a logistics warehouse.

At the right time, given the stockpiling that had taken place prior to the Christmas holidays, the officials of the Tax Agency proceeded to search the warehouses and arrest the alleged perpetrators, who have been brought before the courts. A Mercedes-Benz truck, 6,200 euros, 830 pounds sterling, 205 Gibraltar pounds and 120 dollars were also seized.

The seized merchandise, the detainees, delivery vehicles and other confiscated items have been placed at the disposal of the Málaga Court of Instruction on duty.

Initial estimated list of seized merchandise:

COMMODITYUnits
CLOCKS (main: Rolex, Cartier, Tous, Playboy, Dolce&Gabanna, etc.) 1000000
BAGS (LOEWE, TOUS, CAROLINA HERRERA, LOUIS VUITTON, etc.) 10000
WALLETS (id. than the previous one) 100000
BELTS (ID.) 10000
CAPS (ID.) 5000
PERFUMES AND COSMETICS (LANCOME, L'OREAL, GUCCI, CACHAREL, ETC.) 50000
T-SHIRTS, PANTS (LEVIS, EL NIÑO, LACOSTE, TOMMY HILFIGER, ETC.) 2000
SUNGLASSES 15000
DVD MOVIES AND VIDEO GAMES 25000
VIRGINS CD 10000
SNEAKERS 500
FOOTBALL SHIRTS (REAL MADRID, MILAN, CHELSEA, ARGENTINA, ETC.) 5000
MOBILE BATTERIES (NOKIA, SIEMENS, ETC.) 3000
MOBILE MINI SPEAKERS 500
WATCH BATTERIES 500000
TOYS 50000
PENS AND BALLPOINT PENS (MONTBLANC, CARTIER...) 2000
PHOTOGRAPHIC REELS 2000