Interpol operation seizes millions in counterfeit goods
PR dla Zagranicy
John Beauchamp
25.11.2014 12:52
Around 55 million zlotys-worth of goods have been seized as part of Operation Black Poseidon, a pan-European anti-counterfeiting action organised by Interpol with the cooperation of national police forces.
policja.gov.pl
Photo: policja.gov.pl
Black Poseidon was undertaken in October by eleven participating European states, with counterfeit alcohol, tobacco goods, electronics and clothes being seized by Polish police forces, Border Guards and Customs officers.
Iwona Kuc from the Central Police HQ told the PAP news agency that the operation targeted economic crime, and that it “particularly aimed at groups dealing with the trade and smuggling of counterfeir products”.
Police forces seized alcohol, tobacco, electronics, perfumes and cosmetics to the tune of 29.5 million zloty (around 8 million euro), while the Border Guard managed to garner counterfeit goods to the amount of 25 million zloty and Polish Customs to the tune of 240,000 zloty.
Kuc underlined that Poland is a major transit country for counterfeit goods, with illegal products usually making their way to more expensive markets such as the UK, France and Germany.
A number of changes were introduced into this year’s edition of Black Poseidon, Kuc said.
“For the first time in the history of police cooperation, a natural territorial barrier was created along the whole eastern flank of Europe, from Latvia in the north to Turkey in the south,” she underlined, adding that “for the first time so many different countries undertook joint actions which aimed to stem smuggling and counterfeit production”. (jb)