Finance officers from the Provincial Command of the Guardia di Finanza in Cagliari discovered a veritable clandestine boutique, hidden inside a prefabricated building in a private parking area in the Is Mirrionis neighborhood.
Inside, they seized approximately 2,300 items of clothing, shoes, and accessories, perfectly reproducing products from the most famous brands (Balenciaga, Bulgari, Burberry, Chanel, Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Gucci, Hermes, Kenzo, Lacoste, Louboutin, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Prada, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, and many others), carefully displayed inside the premises as in a "normal" shop, even equipped with fitting rooms for customers and a POS for electronic payments for the counterfeit goods.
In the "cash register," the finance police found over 5,500 euros, which were also seized, along with 5 cell phones, a laptop, and the premises used as a sales point, which were sealed.
The raid was carried out after a stakeout and the search of a "customer" who had just left the prefabricated building, who was found in possession of some counterfeit clothing he had just purchased.
"The counterfeit items seized are of high quality. Suffice it to say that some of the luxury designer items , despite not being original, were being sold at prices as high as €500," the investigators emphasize.
It emerged that the person responsible for the illegal activity— a 37-year-old Moroccan national with Italian citizenship —procured customers through word of mouth. Upon completion of the operation, he was reported to the Cagliari Public Prosecutor's Office for possession, with intent to sell, of items bearing false markings and receiving stolen goods.
The arrested buyer, a young man from Cagliari, was fined €600 for purchasing counterfeit goods.
Investigators are still working to reconstruct the supply chain of the counterfeit goods, as well as the amount of illicit proceeds derived from the sale of fake products.
