Police in Riga confiscate 300 different counterfeit goods

Officials of the State Police have completed the investigation in the criminal proceedings against two persons who illegally distributed counterfeit brand goods by placing advertisements on one of the advertisement portals on the Internet. The materials of the criminal case have been handed over to the prosecutor’s office for initiation of criminal prosecution.

Last year, the officers of the 3rd Office of the Criminal Police Department of the State Police Riga Region, Department 1, while conducting continuous monitoring in the Internet environment, found that on one of the advertisement portals, watches, sunglasses, clothing, bags and mobile phone headsets of various brands with obvious signs of counterfeiting. In connection with the incident in 2023, on April 3, two criminal proceedings were initiated.

On April 27 of last year, officials of the 3rd Office of the Criminal Police Department of the State Police Riga Region, Department 1, arrested two persons – a man born in 1986 and a woman born in 1964, who were placed in a temporary detention cell.

During several searches of the addresses and vehicles belonging to the arrested persons, about 300 different goods with obvious signs of counterfeiting, money in the amount of 47,391 euros, as well as four devices of strategic importance without corresponding documents of purchase and storage were confiscated.

By illegally distributing counterfeit trademarks, the suspects caused material losses to Apple, Samsung, Louis Vuitton, Tisson, Rolex, Cartier, Versace, Prada, Dior, “ Hermes”, “Gucci”, “Michael Kors”, “Polo”, “Chanel”, “Burberry”, “Balenciaga” and “Lamborghini” trademarks in the amount of 399,543 euros.

One criminal proceeding is qualified according to the third part of Article 206 of the Criminal Law, namely for the illegal use of a trademark, other distinguishing mark or design of goods or services, forgery of a mark or deliberate use or distribution of a forged mark, if this is done on a large scale, or for the first part of this article the intended criminal offense if committed by an organized group. Such a crime is punishable by deprivation of liberty for a period of up to six years, deprivation of the right to certain or all types of commercial activity or to a certain occupation or the right to hold a certain position for a period of up to five years, and with or without probation supervision for a period of up to three years.

On the other hand, the second criminal process is qualified according to the second part of Article 237.1 of the Criminal Law, for the violation of the prohibition on the circulation of specially created or adapted equipment, devices or tools and their components or software for operational measures to be carried out in a special way or to interfere with them. Such a crime is punishable by deprivation of liberty for a period of up to two years or by temporary deprivation of liberty, or by probation supervision, or by community service, or by a fine, depriving the right to a certain occupation for a period of up to five years.

Also, the detained persons were given a security measure, which is not related to deprivation of liberty.

On April 18 of this year, the employees of the 3rd Office of the Criminal Police Department of the State Police Riga Region, Department 1, completed the investigation in the criminal process and sent it to the prosecutor’s office for the initiation of criminal prosecution against two persons – a man born in 1986 and a woman born in 1964, who had not previously come to the attention of the police. .