Fight against piracy

 

 

• The Customs Department completed more than 2,500 operations against the import of false goods, reported 176 alleged offences, 28.4% more, and arrested 124 people for this unlawful activity
• Electronic components, spectacles, textiles and footwear account for 52% of products seized
• More than half of the goods apprehended were seized in ports and more than three-quarters of the products originated from Asia

 

March 7, 2016 .- The Tax Agency intervened during 2015 almost 2.6 million counterfeit products in a total of 2,504 operations (withholdings) carried out by the Customs Department and Special Taxes. If they had reached the market, these false items would have reached a value of 129.9 million euros. During the course of these activities, 176 statements were also taken, 28.4% more than in 2014, with the corresponding charges relating to intellectual and industrial property rights violations, and 124 persons allegedly linked with this criminal activity were arrested.

Aware of the serious economic and social damage that the falsification business constitutes, the Tax Agency fraud control annual plan considers one of its priorities the full control of the import and sale of goods, in order to break up possible black market circuits.

Therefore the Tax Agency carries out a risk profile analysis of all national imports taking into account to the country of origin, type of product, acting parties and many other characteristics of the commercial operation.

 

Electronics, spectacles, textiles and footwear accounted for the bulk of the seizures

With regard to the distribution of seizures by groups of products, a notable quantity concerned electronic goods. In 2015, more than 603,000 counterfeit electronic devices and components were seized (23% of the total).

In turn, almost 395,000 eyewear items were seized (15.3% of the total); more than 349,000 clothing, footwear and accessory items (13.6%); 263,500 perfumery, cosmetic and personal hygiene products; 165,600 electronic toys and games; 78,300 watches; 23,600 jewellery items; 18,200 handbags, cases and purses; and 680,600 items of other categories, including more than 341,700 labels and stickers (13.3% of the total).

By value of seized items, the most significant is that of eyewear, including sunglasses, which total an estimated value of over 59 million euros, 45.5% of the total. The estimated total value of the textile, footwear and accessory items seized in 2015 was 26.8 million euros (20.6%); watches, over 21.3 million euros; electronic products, over 6.7 million euros; and perfumery, cosmetic and personal hygiene products, more than 5.1 million euros.

 

False merchandise by way of entry and origin

Of all the seized products, a little less one half (47%) were confiscated in ports, 44% in the interior of the country and rather more than 9% in airports. By number of confiscations, almost 69% concerned commercial shipments by air and 28% by sea. Of all the confiscations, rather more than 15% were related with travellers' luggage (by both air and sea transport).

In 2015, almost 77% of the false products seized originated from the Asian continent and 17% from Europe.

 

Customs Supervision: Presentation of charges for smuggling and related offences

Free telephone 900351378.

Email: denunciasvigilanciaaduanera@correo.aeat.es