1.2 mn fake goods seized in EU-led operation

Over 1.2 million counterfeit goods and 130 million cigarettes were seized during a joint international customs operation coordinated by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), a European Commission statement said Monday.

The Operation, code-named REPLICA, targeted the import of counterfeit goods by sea. Customs authorities carried out targeted physical or X-ray controls on several hundred selected containers.

These checks uncovered a wide array of counterfeit goods including cigarettes, perfumes, car and bicycle spare parts, toys, fashion accessories and electric devices.

The seizures of cigarettes alone prevented the loss of 25 million euros (about 31 million dollars) in customs duties and taxes. And the amount of cigarettes seized is equivalent to what 17,000 people, smoking a packet a day, would consume in a year. In terms of overall seizures in this operation, the value of the equivalent genuine products is estimated to be over 65 million euros, said the statement.

The two-week operation was organised within the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) framework as part of joint efforts in the fight against counterfeit goods.