Fake sports shoes seized in warehouse raids by OLAF, Belgian and German authorities

30/03/2021

Hundreds of counterfeit sports shoes, counterfeit textiles from high-end brands and over €25,000 in cash were seized in a warehouse in Antwerp, Belgium. The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the local police of Antwerp and the Belgian Economic Inspection raided the warehouse last February after OLAF and the Belgian authorities identified it as a central hub for the distribution of counterfeit goods. The intervention is part of an ongoing investigation that OLAF and the Belgian authorities are carrying out together against an illicit traffic of counterfeit sports shoes.

The warehouse in Antwerp was not the only location neutralised by the joint investigation, and Belgium was not the only EU country concerned. A separate team from the Belgian Economic Inspection simultaneously raided another suspicious storage facility in Charleroi and found over 3,000 pairs of counterfeit shoes as well as perfumes. Thanks to OLAF’s coordination, German Customs also seized over 400 pairs and counterfeit textiles in a location in Germany. 

OLAF Director-General Ville Itälä said: ‘’What we are looking at here is a case of fake goods with an international dimension. The total value of the products seized is around €400,000 – a significant amount that we have stopped the traffickers and fraudsters from pocketing by keeping the fake goods off the market and away from consumers. All of this is the result of our continuous good work with national authorities. Our cooperation with the Belgian authorities was excellent, and OLAF’s cross-border coordination with the German authorities was instrumental to the seizures in Germany.’’ 

© Antwerp Police