Gangs in fake clothing also in drugs and weapons: ‘Should be given priority by the police’ | Fake branded clothes

That is the opinion of Jans Nijzing of the National Police, who has been the expert when it comes to combating counterfeiting for almost thirty years. According to Nijzing, more priority in the fight against counterfeiting is an absolute necessity.

According to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and European investigative agency Europol, 121 billion euros worth of counterfeit goods were imported into the European Union in 2019. The lion’s share is fashion. It is estimated that the trade in fakes generates a loss of almost 900 million euros for the Dutch clothing industry.

The corona pandemic has further increased those figures, EUIPO and Europol believe. Although official figures are still lacking, they saw criminals respond quickly to the pandemic. They discovered a golden opportunity to sell their goods through social media. “They could just do that from a beach chair on a tropical beach,” said Europol spokesman Jan Op Gen Oorth.

The fight against counterfeiting is already a priority at Europol. In four years, the European police organization conducted 29 investigations into international gangs. It became clear that the criminals are not only involved in counterfeiting, but are also involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.

Nijzing also sees this intertwining in the Netherlands. In recent years, police raids have uncovered stolen cars and heavy illegal fireworks and materials to manufacture drugs. The more attention paid to the counterfeit trade, the more other crimes the police will detect, is his belief. “I understand that there is more priority in tackling drug and arms trafficking. But I would be very interested if more police officers were trained to fight against illegal branded clothing.”

Nijzing advocates a hotline where a small team of specialized police officers assess cases and help local police teams detect counterfeit trade.

Watch our four-part video series below: reporter Jorina Haspels visited undercover workshops – as far as Turkey – where fake brand clothing is produced….