Police bust counterfeit luxury goods ring on Mykonos (vid.)

According to the investigation by the Mykonos Police Sub-Directorate, four Senegalese nationals were arrested as part of a targeted operation that took place on May 27, following information and months of monitoring of their activities. The defendants are alleged to have set up an entire network for trafficking counterfeit products, using rented homes as “shelters” for storing thousands of branded luxury goods.

The police found that the members of the ring loaded the products into cars every day and drove to the island’s fashionable beaches and tourist spots, targeting mainly foreign visitors. Under the pretext that they were authentic products from well-known fashion houses, they managed to convince unsuspecting tourists to pay large sums for counterfeits.

The ring's activities, according to information, had also caused serious disruption in the official stores of luxury brands operating in Mykonos, as several visitors preferred to buy the much cheaper "fake" products, often believing that they were acquiring authentic items at "bargain" prices.

During the investigations, a total of 1,739 counterfeit products were identified and seized, including bags, hats, scarves, wallets and travel backpacks with logos of leading fashion houses such as Prada, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, Hermès, Fendi, Burberry and other international brands. At the same time, the amount of 770 euros was seized, which is estimated to have come from the illegal sales.

The prescribed administrative sanctions were imposed on those arrested, while they were brought before the Syros First Instance Prosecutor.