Counterfeit motor oil factory discovered in Riga: two suspects, losses of €282,000
The State Police has referred a case to the prosecutor's office concerning the production of counterfeit motor oil in Riga. During a search, 140,000 litres of counterfeit product bearing the trademarks GM, Mobil 1, Castrol, and Ford were seized.
Counterfeit motor oil produced in large quantities in industrial facility in Riga
Google News LV — Crime (lv) reports that the State Police has referred a criminal case to the Riga Northern Prosecutor's Office concerning trademark counterfeiting and the distribution of counterfeit goods on a large scale — for the initiation of criminal prosecution against two men held on suspicion.
On 27 January 2025, law enforcers from the State Police Riga Regional Directorate established that counterfeit motor oil was being produced in parallel with legitimate manufacturing in an industrial premises in Riga. During the search, 140,000 litres of counterfeit product bearing the trademarks "GM" (General Motors), "Mobil 1", "Castrol", and "Ford Motorcraft" were seized.
Additionally, a mechanical production line for plastic bottles, bottle templates, packaging, empty containers, and corks were confiscated. The counterfeit product was supplied and sold in shops in Italy.
The investigation established that the offence was organised by two persons: a man born in 1982 who is the actual beneficial owner and de facto financial and economic manager of a company registered in Latvia, and a man born in 1983 who is an employee of the company. Both directed the counterfeiting of trademarks, the manufacture of counterfeit products, and their distribution outside the territory of the Republic of Latvia. They had not previously come to the attention of law enforcement.
Law enforcers have information that for the production of motor oil, the suspects hired both Latvian nationals and individuals from countries outside the European Union.
The loss inflicted on the affected companies has been calculated at €282,289.14. The criminal case has been classified under Article 206, paragraph 3 of the Criminal Law — concerning unauthorised use, counterfeiting, or deliberate distribution of a counterfeit mark on a large or significant scale, including where the act has been committed by an organised group.
For such a criminal offence, imprisonment for up to six years is provided for, deprivation of the right to engage in commercial activity or a specific occupation for up to five years, as well as probation supervision for up to three years or without it.
In the criminal case, arrests have been imposed on two real properties valued at €157,500 and four vehicles valued at €311,250. A decision has also been made to initiate proceedings on the application of coercive measures against a legal person.
The criminal case was referred to the Riga Northern Prosecutor's Office on 14 August by Unit 1 of the Criminal Police Division of the State Police Riga Regional Directorate's Criminal Police Directorate. The State Police reminds that no person is considered guilty until their guilt has been proven in the manner prescribed by law.
Source: Google News LV — Crime (lv)