The total value of goods, money and the inevitable ‘high powered car’ seized during operation "Mala Dourada" - Golden Bag - was around €400,000.
Portugal’s much feared ASAE (Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica) announced that this was a record amount of cash, €140,000, in the operation that took place in Vila do Conde, Oporto.
Careful surveillance built up a picture over four months of the suspicious comings and goings at a warehouse.
Last Thursday officers arrested the two warehouse owners in a swoop by 20 inspectors.
Among the counterfeit good discovered and confiscated were handbags, wallets, belts and bags all with luxury brand labels.
As suspected, the warehouse was being used as a distribution point to supply the trade in ‘knock-offs’ - copies of high value branded goods - that are to be found on Portugal’s outdoor market stalls up and down the country.
The director of ASAE in the north of Portugal explained that this action is part of “the fight against counterfeiting, with a particular focus on the areas of production and distribution."
"The strategy of ASAE is directed towards counterfeiting at its source, and its distribution," said the inspector, stressing that this haul not only was significant in the volume of goods seized but that the copies were generally of very high quality.
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