Operation of the Tax Agency

• The football shirts were seized in a logistics warehouse in Humanes (Madrid), while in the discovered factory, located in the Madrid town of Getafe, another 1,200 counterfeit garments of various brands were found.

• The organization responsible for the factory created counterfeit garments already within the community and on demand, which represents a new development in the 'modus operandi' of this criminal activity.

• The operation is the result of increased efforts in connection with the start of the World Cup and is part of the European campaign organized by OLAF to combat the illegal trade in counterfeit products.

July 17, 2026. Customs Surveillance officials from the Tax Agency have seized 2,000 shirts of national teams participating in the World Cup in a logistics warehouse in Humanes (Madrid) and, in a previous operation, have dismantled a factory in a warehouse in the Madrid municipality of Getafe with twelve machines that were used for the counterfeiting of garments on demand. There, in addition, another 1,200 counterfeit garments from well-known brands ready for sale were seized.

The double operation, carried out in collaboration with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), was conducted following investigations by agents into the possibility that various counterfeit textile garments were found in a warehouse in Getafe.

After entering the warehouse in Getafe on June 1, six machines for printing on textile garments and six machines for ironing them were discovered, so the investigators determined that the warehouse was a factory of counterfeit products on demand. In addition, 1,200 garments with designs and logos that violated intellectual and industrial property rights were seized in the warehouse.

Manufacturing t-shirts on demand within the national territory represents a novelty in the 'modus operandi' of the organizations, which usually introduce goods from Asia with the counterfeiting already done at the origin, or finalize the counterfeiting of designs and logos in the community territory without a production scheme on demand.

The fact that this factory was located within the Community territory meant the circumvention of customs controls. Furthermore, this method ensures the organization can sell and distribute counterfeit products without needing to maintain a stock, since the garments are manufactured at the request of each customer.

Investigations suggest that the seized machinery has an approximate value of 300,000 euros and an estimated production of at least 800,000 garments per year.

2,000 counterfeit World Cup jerseys

In addition, Customs Surveillance investigators carried out another operation on June 19, in which they seized nearly 2,000 counterfeit jerseys of teams participating in the World Cup at a logistics warehouse located in the town of Humanes (Madrid).

The operation is the result of increased efforts to combat the illegal trade of counterfeit products during the World Cup and is part of the European campaign organized by OLAF. The fight against counterfeiting is essential to protect innovation, employment and public health, so citizens are advised to purchase products through official channels and are urged to report any suspicion of the sale of counterfeit goods.