Huge counterfeit goods racket shut down
Success partly due to the wide range of products they offered
NATIONAL Police in Elche led an operation to take down a gang they claim controlled storage, distribution and sales of fake designer goods across eastern Spain.
The estimated value of all the fake products, principally of certain sportswear brands, is over €10 million.
An investigation, which took four months, set out to determine where high quality fake products being sold in Elche and Crevillente, were coming from.
The gang’s operational nerve centre was found to be in the San Andrés neighbourhood of Murcia.
They used an apparently legal shop near the city’s bus station, which was run by a man who was not selling any fake goods.
Clients went there to make initial contact and told the owner what they were interested in, then he would call another gang member and give them a key to whichever of their apartments had what they were looking for.
The gang had five flats with mannequins, shelves and other furniture just like shops, one selling just trainers, another sportswear and football equipment, and another perfumes and other
products, etc.
The keys for the flats, which were all on the same street just a few metres away, were hidden in the pockets of garments in the shop so that they would not be found by police.
The apartments were guarded by gang members who were paid a small fee to live in them and prevent any thefts by other criminals.
The gang also had four storage units, also located close by, with enough stock to continually
supply more products.
This illegal business was successful, partly due to the wide range of products and also the prime location of the gang’s operations.
Officers were hindered by the gang’s use of lookouts on street corners to warn of any police presence but the complex operation culminated with more than 50 officers carrying out simultaneous searches at 10 addresses and arresting the three alleged ringleaders.
The goods seized included about 15,000 football kits, 30,000 sweatshirts, 1,000 perfumes, 5,000 pairs of jeans, 10,000 pairs of socks, 10,000 coats and jackets, and 2,000 pairs of trainers, amongst others.
The suspects, who are Moroccan nationals aged between 39 and 56, were released on bail accused of an industrial property offence and belonging to a criminal organisation.