Customs fair sets focus on sporting events
The motto of this year’s customs fair organized by the German Customs’ Central Intellectual Property Office was “EM 2024 & OLYMPIA 2024”. Experts from various brand manufacturers trained customs officials, particularly on how to spot signs of counterfeit goods and identify originals. In the past few months alone, in the run‑up to this year’s European Football Championship, customs officers in Germany have already made several counterfeit seizures – for example at Stuttgart Airport, where they seized over 350 counterfeit sports textiles of various national teams, and at Cologne/Bonn Airport, where customs officers intercepted counterfeit jerseys of the German national team. 
The motto of this year’s customs fair organized by the German Customs’ Central Intellectual Property Office was “EM 2024 & OLYMPIA 2024”. Experts from various brand manufacturers trained customs officials, particularly on how to spot signs of counterfeit goods and identify originals. In the past few months alone, in the run‑up to this year’s European Football Championship, customs officers in Germany have already made several counterfeit seizures – for example at Stuttgart Airport, where they seized over 350 counterfeit sports textiles of various national teams, and at Cologne/Bonn Airport, where customs officers intercepted counterfeit jerseys of the German national team.
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Cologne: Customs confiscate counterfeits worth millions
Officials from the Cologne‑Wahn customs office in North Rhine‑Westphalia, western Germany, have confiscated almost 13 tonnes of counterfeit products. As officials reported in early June, more than 400 boxes of fake products had been transported in a truck, hidden behind rows of boxes of no‑name T‑shirts as a disguise. The estimated value of the goods is well over four million euros, according to Jens Ahland, press spokesperson for the main customs office in Cologne. The counterfeits include over 67,000 items of clothing, including tracksuits, jackets, pants, and baby clothes, as well as around 3,500 pairs of counterfeit shoes and 4,500 fake handbags, purses, and key rings – all counterfeits of around 50 sports and luxury brands. The counterfeit items were destined for a recipient in North Rhine‑Westphalia.
Officials from the Cologne‑Wahn customs office in North Rhine‑Westphalia, western Germany, have confiscated almost 13 tonnes of counterfeit products. As officials reported in early June, more than 400 boxes of fake products had been transported in a truck, hidden behind rows of boxes of no‑name T‑shirts as a disguise. The estimated value of the goods is well over four million euros, according to Jens Ahland, press spokesperson for the main customs office in Cologne. The counterfeits include over 67,000 items of clothing, including tracksuits, jackets, pants, and baby clothes, as well as around 3,500 pairs of counterfeit shoes and 4,500 fake handbags, purses, and key rings – all counterfeits of around 50 sports and luxury brands. The counterfeit items were destined for a recipient in North Rhine‑Westphalia.
USA: Head of IT counterfeiting ring sentenced
In early May, a man from the US state of Florida was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in prison after he had pleaded guilty in June 2023. The Miami man is alleged to have sold hundreds of millions worth of counterfeits of IT hardware of US manufacturer Cisco Systems for years via numerous front companies and with sales accounts on Amazon and eBay, both in the USA and beyond. We already reported on the case and the alleged scheme of the counterfeiter in August 2022, when the US authorities first published details of the indictment. As part of the settlement in the criminal proceedings, the counterfeiter is also expected to pay 100 million dollars (around 90 million euros) to Cisco and other amounts to other victims. According to the US officials, the case is one of the largest counterfeiting cases ever prosecuted in the United States.
In early May, a man from the US state of Florida was sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in prison after he had pleaded guilty in June 2023. The Miami man is alleged to have sold hundreds of millions worth of counterfeits of IT hardware of US manufacturer Cisco Systems for years via numerous front companies and with sales accounts on Amazon and eBay, both in the USA and beyond. We already reported on the case and the alleged scheme of the counterfeiter in August 2022, when the US authorities first published details of the indictment. As part of the settlement in the criminal proceedings, the counterfeiter is also expected to pay 100 million dollars (around 90 million euros) to Cisco and other amounts to other victims. According to the US officials, the case is one of the largest counterfeiting cases ever prosecuted in the United States.
Austria: Customs intercept thousands of counterfeit goods
Customs officers at Vienna Airport in Schwechat seized around 7,000 counterfeit products in over 50 boxes in March 2024, as was recently reported. Among the confiscated counterfeits, officials found around 4,000 pairs of sunglasses, 2,000 smartphone cases, 1,000 pairs of shoes, 150 charging cables, and 50 pairs of headphones. According to the authorities, the counterfeits were to be transported by air freight from China via Vienna to Poland. The trade magazine Aviation Direct notes that such large‑scale interceptions are rather rare in Austria – and once such counterfeits have reached the EU, it would be very difficult to remove them from circulation.
Customs officers at Vienna Airport in Schwechat seized around 7,000 counterfeit products in over 50 boxes in March 2024, as was recently reported. Among the confiscated counterfeits, officials found around 4,000 pairs of sunglasses, 2,000 smartphone cases, 1,000 pairs of shoes, 150 charging cables, and 50 pairs of headphones. According to the authorities, the counterfeits were to be transported by air freight from China via Vienna to Poland. The trade magazine Aviation Direct notes that such large‑scale interceptions are rather rare in Austria – and once such counterfeits have reached the EU, it would be very difficult to remove them from circulation.
Spain: Police confiscate tonnes of fake football jerseys
Investigators from the Spanish Policía Nacional have seized eleven tonnes of counterfeit football (soccer) shirts during an inspection of 15 trucks in the Madrid area, along with numerous counterfeits of luxury watches, leather goods, and electronic products. In total, the police seized 46,000 counterfeit items worth more than six million euros – including around 37,000 counterfeit jerseys of Spanish teams and European national teams. According to the authorities, the counterfeits were to be sold on the street or online in time for the Champions League final and the European Football Championship. The investigations in the case already began back in April last year when police officers intercepted two tonnes of counterfeit football shirts from China. According to officials, the operation is ongoing.
Investigators from the Spanish Policía Nacional have seized eleven tonnes of counterfeit football (soccer) shirts during an inspection of 15 trucks in the Madrid area, along with numerous counterfeits of luxury watches, leather goods, and electronic products. In total, the police seized 46,000 counterfeit items worth more than six million euros – including around 37,000 counterfeit jerseys of Spanish teams and European national teams. According to the authorities, the counterfeits were to be sold on the street or online in time for the Champions League final and the European Football Championship. The investigations in the case already began back in April last year when police officers intercepted two tonnes of counterfeit football shirts from China. According to officials, the operation is ongoing.
