The managing director of the company involved had been previously suspected of trademark piracy by the authorities. Further evidence suggested that the company was not only selling its own products but also counterfeits of well-known name-brand items. The local authorities consequently searched both the business’ primary location and an associated warehouse.
Investigators on the case initially discovered approximately 1,000 fake designer handbags and additional evidence, a total of about 30 boxes, on the business’ premises. In addition, the officials discovered a rental agreement and keys to a warehouse. During the subsequent search of the approximately 650 square meter warehouse, investigators were confronted with about 6,500 cardboard boxes, some of which were stacked up as high as the seven-meter ceiling. They then had to spend several days to complete the analysis of the more than 200,000 handbags that had been in storage at the location.
As a result of their investigations, the officials were able to identitify about 21,000 counterfeit handbags, a total of over 500 boxes. A huge success for the local authorities, that initially confronted them with a logistical problem as they lacked a suitable storage space to securely coffer the counterfeits. After an appropriate warehouses was found, the counterfeits could finally be taken away in early May with support from local riot police. It took three trucks to move the illicit items, with officials forming human chains in order to haul the boxes from the warehouse. The fraud investigation against the alleged counterfeiters is ongoing.
