1M counterfeit semiconductors seized

The JCO, code-named ‘Operation Wafers’, targeted counterfeit semiconductors imported into the EU from China & Hong Kong by Post / Express Courier.

In just two weeks, partners seized more than one million counterfeit devices such as diodes, LEDs, transistors and integrated circuits.

As the semiconductors in question were not produced by the genuine manufacturers, their incorporation into electronic products could have led to the failure of computer systems and caused serious malfunctions of sensitive infrastructures, whether civilian or military. As some of the counterfeit semiconductors seized could have been destined for the transport sector and ended up in cars or airplanes or could have made their way into hospitals as part of surgical instruments, their use could have endangered human lives. Moreover, the smuggling of counterfeit products causes serious financial damages to the European industry.
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