Cagliari's Guardia di Finanza (Financial Police) has cracked down on counterfeiting.
The Green Berets' investigations stemmed from a recent seizure at a commercial establishment, with the military successfully retracing the distribution chain of the counterfeit products on sale, tracing them back to another commercial establishment that operated as a supplier and even to the purchasers of the same products.
Overall, during their operations, the Guardia di Finanza (Fiamme Gialle) found several irregularities, seizing approximately 15,000 items of costume jewelry placed on the market in open violation of the current regulations established by the Consumer Code.
The products lacked the minimum mandatory information intended for the end consumer, such as a clear indication of the manufacturer or importer, the country of origin, the materials used, as well as the necessary instructions, warnings, and precautions for use in Italian. These are essential requirements to exclude the presence of potentially toxic or allergenic chemical substances harmful to public health.
At the same time, the financial police's action led to the identification and seizure of 700 items bearing counterfeit trademarks from the most well-known and prestigious national and international fashion houses. These items were ready to be placed on the market at prices below list prices , and their sale would have potentially caused financial and image damage to the companies owning the industrial property rights.
Specifically, during product safety checks, costume jewelry items were discovered that, in addition to not complying with legal requirements, faithfully reproduced the distinctive logos and industrial designs protected by industrial property rights of renowned high-end jewelry brands, including Cartier rings and bracelets, Bulgari pendants, and Van Cleef & Arpels creations. The investigations revealed that the offense involved the unauthorized reproduction of the graphic features, distinctive logos, and designs registered by the renowned fashion houses, a conduct that constitutes counterfeiting regardless of the presence of packaging or labeling attributable to the original brands. Other counterfeit items were subsequently discovered in the city as part of daily surveillance and anti-illegible commercial activities, leading to the seizure of handbags, wallets, shoulder bags, and clothing bearing the logos of prestigious brands such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Tommy Hilfiger, and Nike.
At the end of the investigations, three people were reported to the competent authorities.
(Unioneonline)