Over 6,000 arrested in Interpol fake-goods sweep

PARIS — More than 6,000 people around the world were arrested in a two-month anti-counterfeiting sweep that netted tens of millions of dollars worth of fake shampoo in China, phony cigarettes in Turkey and bogus booze in Chile, Interpol said Thursday. In all, the operations coordinated by the Lyon, France-based international police agency in May and June seized some 24 million fake goods worth nearly $133 million, Interpol said in a statement. The combined haul ranks among the largest operations ever conducted by the agency’s special anti-counterfeiting unit, according to its director, Michael Ellis. As part of the worldwide push against counterfeiting, the agency helped lead operations by local authorities in the Americas, Africa, Europe and, for the first time, in Asia. The Asian operation shut down 21 production sites operated by eight criminal syndicates making fake shampoo and toothpaste in southern China. More than 400 people were arrested in Thailand for hawking counterfeit clothing and DVDs, while in Vietnam police arrested an individual linked to $6 million worth of illicit electronic appliances. Ellis highlighted the significance of the Chinese police cooperation for the first time. “We reach out to various national police forces on a regional basis. This time the police in China joined the operation, with great effect,” he said.

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