Marseille’s Market of the Sun, a hub of counterfeit goods, ordered to close

The Market of the Sun, a Marseille bazaar that became a major destination for counterfeit goods, has been ordered to close permanently. The criminal court in Marseille issued the ruling on Monday, alongside a four-year suspended prison sentence for its owner and heavy financial penalties.

The 3,600-square-metre shopping gallery near Saint-Charles railway station had operated for 40 years. Its maze of stalls gradually became known for selling copies of branded clothing, shoes, sunglasses and perfumes. The market became so prominent that it appeared in tourist guides. It had already been closed since February under a prefectural order.

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particularly severe

The court followed prosecutors’ demands made during the trial in June. The owner, 81-year-old Georges Dahan, was convicted of possessing, producing and selling counterfeit goods, as well as money laundering. Three of his brothers also received suspended prison sentences. Dahan was absent when the verdict was delivered.

His lawyer, Stéphane Ceccaldi, called the judgment “particularly severe” and described it as “a summary execution” of the site. He said Dahan would appeal both the closure and the rest of the ruling. The decision included the seizure of the property and a €49 million customs fine imposed jointly on several defendants.

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a summary execution

The case followed a major operation in February involving 300 agents under the authority of the Marseille prosecutor’s office. Over five days, investigators seized more than 200,000 counterfeit items with an estimated value of €42 million. Prosecutors had said that, after the Covid-19 pandemic, counterfeit products accounted for 70% of the market’s sales, turning it into a highly profitable operation.

Three municipal police officers were among about a dozen defendants convicted on Monday. They received suspended sentences ranging from 18 to 24 months and were banned from exercising their profession. The officers had worked for the market’s manager, passing on information about official inspections in exchange for pairs of trainers.

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a monster that feeds itself and is lucrative