DistantNews
Support us
Customs Seized 2 Million Counterfeit Products This Year, Brands Demand Action
🇺🇾 Uruguay /Crime & Justice

Customs Seized 2 Million Counterfeit Products This Year, Brands Demand Action

From El País · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Uruguayan Customs seized nearly two million counterfeit products this year, primarily transit merchandise.
  • An international meeting in Montevideo coordinated strategies against intellectual property theft, involving Interpol and officials from Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay.
  • Perfumes, cosmetics, and sports apparel are the most frequently counterfeited items, with Interpol warning that counterfeiting fuels larger criminal enterprises like human trafficking and money laundering.

Uruguayan Customs has intercepted approximately two million counterfeit products so far this year, with most of the seized goods being merchandise in transit. This significant seizure highlights the ongoing challenge of intellectual property theft in the region.

To combat this issue, Montevideo hosted the "Intellectual Property without Borders: Actions and Strategies" conference. The event brought together representatives from Interpol, prosecutors' offices, and public agencies from Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay. The primary goal was to foster transnational cooperation and develop coordinated strategies against the pervasive problem of counterfeiting.

The statistics show that the smuggling of counterfeit goods generates more money than drug trafficking, yet it carries lower penalties in almost every country.

— Diego NavarreteInterpol official Diego Navarrete highlighting the profitability and low penalties associated with counterfeit goods, making it attractive for criminal networks.

Virginia Cervieri, a lawyer specializing in representing brands in cases of counterfeit products, noted that perfumes and cosmetics are currently the most targeted items for fakes, a trend amplified by their sale on social media. She also pointed out a surge in counterfeit sports apparel, footwear, and accessories, particularly around major events like the World Cup. Cervieri issued a special warning to consumers to be cautious when purchasing toys, especially with upcoming holidays, as these often fail to meet basic safety standards.

Interpol emphasized that counterfeiting is not just an economic issue or a direct health risk to consumers. Diego Navarrete, a regional Interpol officer, stated that the illicit trade in counterfeit goods often serves as a front for larger criminal networks involved in human trafficking, forced labor, and money laundering. "The statistics show that the smuggling of counterfeit goods generates more money than drug trafficking, yet it carries lower penalties in almost every country," Navarrete observed. This high profitability coupled with lenient penalties makes counterfeiting an attractive activity for international criminal organizations.

If Customs finds a container full of counterfeit products and the brand does not file a complaint, they cannot act ex officio.

— Virginia CervieriLawyer Virginia Cervieri explaining the need for cooperation between customs authorities and brand owners to effectively combat counterfeiting.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by El País in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog