Counterfeit motor oil worth €282,000 produced in Riga — two men referred to prosecutor
The State Police have referred a criminal case to the prosecutor concerning the production of counterfeit motor oil in Riga. A total of 140,000 litres of counterfeit oil bearing GM, Mobil 1 and Castrol brands has been seized.
Riga factory produced counterfeit motor oil on a large scale — case referred to prosecutor
Google News LV — Crime (lv) reports that the State Police have referred a criminal case to the Riga Northern Prosecutor's Office concerning trademark counterfeiting and distribution of counterfeit goods on a large scale. Two men have been identified as suspects in the case — the de facto manager of the company and one of its employees.
On 27 January 2025, law enforcement officers from the State Police Riga Regional Division discovered that counterfeit motor oil was being produced at an industrial facility in Riga, whilst legal production was also taking place at the same location. During a search, 140,000 litres of counterfeit oil bearing the trademarks "GM" (General Motors), "Mobil 1", "Castrol" and "Ford Motorcraft" were seized. A mechanical production line for plastic bottles, bottle templates, packaging with corks and empty container samples were also confiscated.
The investigation established that the operation was run by two individuals: a person born in 1982 who is the real owner and de facto financial and commercial manager of a company registered in Latvia, and a company employee born in 1983. Both organised and supervised the trademark counterfeiting, manufacture of counterfeit goods and their distribution outside Latvia's borders.
According to information available to the police, those suspected of involvement hired both Latvian nationals and individuals from countries outside the European Union to produce the motor oil. Neither of the suspects had previously come to the police's attention.
The counterfeit products were supplied and sold in shops in Italy. The damage caused to the harmed companies — the trademark owners — amounts to €282,289.14.
The criminal case has been classified under Article 206, Part 3 of the Criminal Law — for unlawful use of a trademark, counterfeiting of a trademark or intentional distribution of counterfeit marks on a large scale or within the framework of an organised group. The penalty provided for is imprisonment of up to six years, deprivation of the right to engage in commercial activity for up to five years, and probation supervision for up to three years.
Within the framework of the criminal case, seizures have been placed on two immovable properties valued at €157,500 and four motor vehicles valued at €311,250. A decision has also been taken to initiate proceedings concerning the application of coercive measures against the legal entity.
On 14 August, the State Police Riga Regional Division Criminal Police Division Branch 3, Section 1 referred the criminal case to the Riga Northern Prosecutor's Office to initiate criminal prosecution. 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)