The illegal vendors sold counterfeit products and even used contactless POS to collect payment. They also maintained well-organized warehouses for their goods: the packaging was meticulously designed, complete with labels, consumer guarantees, and even cleverly falsified QR codes.

The counterfeit market discovered in Costa Smeralda during the summer by the provincial command of the Guardia di Finanza of Sassari was flourishing:

The activities conducted over the last three months have allowed, overall, the seizure of 4,300 counterfeit products and the reporting of eighteen people.

The Green Berets of the Olbia Group have carried out numerous operations to combat the sale of counterfeit products and illegal commercial activity along the beaches and villages of the Costa Smeralda, which have been "stormed" by several street vendors who are often illegal.

The measures implemented have led, in the last three months alone, to nine reports for counterfeiting and receiving stolen goods and the seizure of over 3,000 counterfeit items, including watches, jewelry, accessories, and leather goods bearing trademarks linked to the most famous international fashion brands.

The interior has not been neglected: along the Olbia-Arzachena highway, a large warehouse containing more than 1,700 counterfeit items was discovered. The military discovered a woman of Senegalese origin inside a building presumably used as a "logistics base" for the illegal trade.

The “level” of sophistication also increases in terms of means of payment: in some cases, the military has discovered “counterfeit merchants” equipped with portable contactless POS devices like any other regular business owner.

Investigations are underway to quantify the number and volume of transactions transiting the devices, which could result in illicit profits flowing directly into foreign accounts.

(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)

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