The National Police led a coordinated anti-industrial and anti-piracy effort that involved the Financial Unit of the Greek police and collaboration with its field agents. Across 17 countries, authorities arrested 378 individuals and seized about 2 million counterfeit items, with a market value reported at approximately 85.8 million euros and 200 thousand liras. The operation underscores a sustained commitment to safeguarding intellectual property rights across the European landscape and beyond.
The initiative received funding and strategic backing from the European Union Intellectual Property Office, based in Alicante, along with active participation from a broad network of national agencies. Participating states included Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Serbia, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. The collaboration illustrates how a diverse group of allies can synchronize law enforcement, customs, and policy to disrupt sophisticated counterfeit supply chains.
Beyond the support from EUIPO, the operation drew strength from private sector involvement and the cooperation of major European institutions and organizations such as Europol, Eurojust, Frontex, and Olaf. These partners contributed technical expertise, strategic oversight, and operational coordination essential to tracking illicit networks and dismantling the infrastructure that enables counterfeit trade.
The mission was given the working name Fake Star, and authorities reported detections of counterfeit goods that infringe the industrial property rights of widely recognized brands. The scale of activity and the variety of seized items demonstrate the extensive reach of the counterfeit market in Europe and the ongoing challenge of enforcing intellectual property protections in a connected economy.
During the operation, 378 arrests were executed across multiple European jurisdictions. Nearly 2 million counterfeit items, including clothing, footwear, and accessories, were seized in 3,921 inspections across 258 separate distribution points. The total estimated value of the seizures reached 85.8 million euros, highlighting the substantial economic impact of counterfeit networks and the importance of cross-border collaboration in clamping down on illicit trade.
Distribution Channels
Law enforcement focused on identifying and disrupting the channels through which counterfeit goods move from production sites to market shelves. Investigations targeted industrial zones and production sites, marketplaces, tourist hubs, retail outlets, warehousing facilities, freight containers, and logistics companies. By mapping these routes, authorities could trace how counterfeit items travel from origin to end consumer’s hands and where enforcement actions would be most effective.
An important finding was the online dimension of the trade. Counterfeit products were observed in online stores and promoted via social media profiles in addition to traditional e-commerce platforms. This online visibility amplified reach and created new pathways for distributing fakes to a wide audience while complicating enforcement efforts that rely on physical interception alone.
The seized items largely originated from manufacturing hubs in China, Hong Kong, Türkiye, and Vietnam. These goods were transported by land and sea to their final destinations within the European Union. The majority of the nearly 2 million counterfeit items seized were sportswear and luxury goods, reflecting persistent consumer demand for high-end brands and the lucrative incentives driving illicit production. The comprehensive analysis across 258 points revealed the breadth of this illicit ecosystem and the urgent need for ongoing surveillance, collaboration, and rapid-response capabilities to curb it.