MORE THAN 150,000 counterfeit goods, valued at over €3m, were seized by Revenue in 2013.
Revenue noted that fake goods “do not deliver the expected and promised results of genuine products” while at worst they can seriously injure consumers. This year, it made 3,645 seizures, involving 151,808 items valued at €3,145,049 between January and the end of November.
Revenue makes regular detections of counterfeit goods at the country’s ports, airports and postal depots.
It has seized many forms of counterfeit items, including:
In November, fake items such as ‘Ugg’ boots and ‘Jimmy Choo’ shoes – worth an estimated €250,000 in total – were seized by officers from Revenue’s Customs Service and An Garda Síochana.
Revenue believes these goods originated in China, were shipped to Europe and housed in warehouses in Paris until they were transported to Ireland.
Between January and the end of November of this year, Revenue made 15 seizures of counterfeit alcohol, with a total of 929 litres seized.
The production of counterfeit alcohol is illegal and constitutes tax evasion, and consuming it can lead to health risks.
The most common type of alcohol to be counterfeited is spirits, mainly vodka. In many cases the alcohol is sourced from the industrial alcohol sector and may contain high quantities of methanol, said Revenue. Human consumption of methanol is very dangerous and can have severe and fatal affects, including blindness.
The bottles used by the counterfeiters are usually the ‘real thing’ , sourced from recycling centres, pubs and other places where they may be discarded.
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