200 people arrested for the commission of crimes against industrial property

08.01.2015

It seems like the last quarter of 2014 did not bring good news for both importers and distributors of counterfeited goods: inquiries done by the Crimes Against Intellectual Property Section of the Spanish National Police Agency have ended on the confiscation of thousands of counterfeited products (such as textile products, drugs, software, hardware and photography material) and the means used for their further import and re-selling. The seizure of the goods was made within “Cuarzo” and “Prima” operations.

Police agents participating at “Cuarzo” operation investigated both A Pedra market (in Vigo, Spain) stall owners who were suspicious of re-selling counterfeited products and their suppliers in Portugal.

As a result, 80 inspections were made both in Vigo and Portugal (these lasts ones in collaboration with the Portuguese Economy and Food Safety Agency). Thousands of counterfeited products were seized during these inspections and about 50 people were arrested. Afterwards, the judicial authority ordered the blockade of almost 1100 bank accounts, the selling of more than 140 real properties, 38 vehicles and a boat. The judge also ordered that 3 warehouses, 6 bazaar shops and 36 market stalls ought to be sealed off. The operation ended last October.

In addition, we must highlight “Prima” macro-operation, which was developed by the Spanish National Police Agency and the Spanish Tax Agency, and ended last November. Within “Prima” operation a worldwide business network dedicated to money laundering, tax evasion and import of products which infringe Intellectual Property has been discovered. The number of arrestment was up to 70, about 116 inspections were made and a note prohibiting the selling of real estate goods and vehicles was done.

While “Prima” operation was being developed, two more police operations started in Portugal and Italy in co-ordination with Eurojust as far as this criminal network had branches on several European countries. In the same way, committees of inquiry have been disposed off to the judicial authorities of several European countries.

As a whole the above-mentioned operations have caused the blockade of almost 3000 bank accounts, preventive annotations to avoid the selling of real estate and vehicles, the seizure of 1.500.000 Euros in cash, and negotiable instruments whose value raised the million Euros, apart from confiscating counterfeited products.

In addition the authorities have developed some other operations such as “Mochilero 2014”, carried out by the Spanish Civil Guard in Malaga, in which 20.500 counterfeited items form several reputed trade marks and 16.000 Euros in cash were seized; the confiscation of counterfeited products in the neighbourhood of San Andrés in Murcia or the detention of a criminal clan in Vallecas (Madrid) at the beginning of December.

Written by: Azahara Monllor Pérez

Sources:

http://www.interior.gob.es/web/interior/noticias/detalle/-/journal_content/56_INSTANCE_1YSSI3xiWuPH/10180/2908249/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.interior.gob.es%2Fweb%2Finterior%2Fprensa%2Fnoticias%3Bjsessionid%3D7DF753A0EC6811BC02867E14963CB530%3Fp_p_id%3D101_INSTANCE_GHU8Ap6ztgsg%26p_p_lifecycle%3D0%26p_p_state%3Dnormal%26p_p_mode%3Dview%26p_p_col_id%3Dcolumn-2%26p_p_col_count%3D1

http://www.abc.es/espana/20141130/abci-policia-detenidos-falsificaciones-201411292012.html

http://www.cuatro.com/noticias/sociedad/Detenidas-personas-relacionados-propiedad-intelectual_2_1900005060.html

http://cadenaser.com/emisora/2014/11/18/radio_madrid/1416302287_380728.html

http://www.lavanguardia.com/local/sevilla/20141209/54421224903/detienen-venta-articulos-falsificados.html

http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/2326022/0/incautado-alijo-articulos-falsificados-centro-murcia/

http://www.abc.es/madrid/20141216/abci-policia-clan-familiar-falsificaciones-201412151727.html

Image:
 
Author: Andrés Nieto Porras under Creative Commons License (CC BY-SA 2.0)

 



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