Counterfeit clothing factory dismantled; merchandise worth millions seized
- May 8
- 2 min read
Products manufactured in Santa Catarina were knockoffs of internationally renowned luxury brands
A massive haul of counterfeit clothing was seized on Thursday (7) during an anti-piracy operation in the city of Brusque, in the Itajaí Valley. The operation aimed to dismantle a criminal scheme involving the manufacture and sale of products that illegally imitated internationally renowned luxury brands. In addition to the clothing items, machinery used in production was also taken to the police station for appropriate processing.
Operation Fake Brand 2—meaning “fake brand” in Portuguese—was coordinated by the Police Department for the Investigation of Environmental Crimes and Consumer Affairs (DCAC/DEIC), with the aim of combating a criminal organization specializing in piracy and trademark infringement in Santa Catarina. Following an investigation, the operation was launched this Thursday with the execution of seven search and seizure warrants at locations linked to those under investigation, including residences, commercial establishments, and warehouses used for manufacturing, storage, and distribution.
At those addresses, agents found a large quantity of “counterfeit” items, including luxury and sports brands, as well as large machines and other supplies used to counterfeit goods. The items were seized and taken to the police station for the appropriate legal proceedings. The total value of the seized goods was not disclosed. Investigations are ongoing to verify the illegal origin of the parts and identify others involved in the criminal scheme.
It is worth noting that counterfeiting is treated as a crime under the Brazilian Penal Code, which establishes a penalty of three months to one year in prison. In cases involving the sale of counterfeit goods, as occurred in this incident in Brusque, the punishment is more severe and ranges from two to four years of imprisonment, in addition to the seizure of assets.
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