Anti-counterfeiting raid at Elche market mobilises 200 police officers from Police, Europol and Interpol
More than 200 officers staged an operation at the Martínez Valero stadium market in Elche in a joint operation with Europol, Interpol and the OLAF against counterfeit goods.
Major police operation against counterfeiting at the Martínez Valero market in Elche
More than 200 National Police officers, along with Europol, Interpol and the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), carried out a major raid on Sunday against the sale of counterfeit goods at the Martínez Valero stadium market in Elche, according to Google News ES — Crime (es). The market was preventively shut down amid the astonishment of shoppers who had arrived early in the morning.
The operation began around 10:00 hours, when officers—approximately one per stall—swooped on the premises whilst it was operating normally. Immediately, vendors were ordered not to touch the displayed goods and customers were instructed to leave the area. Two hours later, food stalls were given permission to collect their merchandise, whilst searches continued at stalls selling bags, costume jewellery, footwear and t-shirts.
At 12:00 hours police vans were still entering the premises. Final figures on those arrested and items seized were not available at the time of reporting, as searches were still ongoing. The authorities estimate there will be a high number of arrests and a significant quantity of goods seized. The only stalls that escaped the searches were those selling fruit, vegetables and other food products.
Beyond the market, the operation extended to other retail outlets selling footwear, costume jewellery, bags and t-shirts at different locations. Several streets providing access to the premises remained closed to traffic to avoid interfering with the searches, and the football pitch was completely cordoned off.
The scale of the operation took vendors and shoppers alike by surprise. According to witnesses, some traders initially thought it was a terrorist attack. The last search of this magnitude at the same market had occurred eight years ago, making this intervention an exceptional occurrence.
José Antonio Martínez, who runs a bread and pastry stall, put his losses at 580 euros. "This is a disaster for us, because when it doesn't rain, it's windy, and on top of that this Sunday," he told the outlet. Martínez noted that from 10:00 hours onwards he was unable to make any sales and that by midday he still had not been able to collect his merchandise.
At 12:30 hours, officers distributed documentation among stall holders so they could apply for compensation for the losses incurred. The standard rate for a daily 12 m² stall is 136 euros. The raid took place with higher than normal footfall, driven by the high temperatures typical of this time of year, which usually encourage the public to visit the market in the early morning hours.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)