More than R$2 million worth of counterfeit products from famous brands are seized in Santa Catarina
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
The operation began in Paraná and led to the arrest of a businessman from Garuva
Nike, Chanel, Stanley, and Adidas are just a few of the allegedly counterfeit brands sold by a businessman in Garuva, a city in northern Santa Catarina. A variety store drew the suspicion of the Civil Police after a raid led to the arrest of three foreigners in Paraná. On Monday (6), a man was arrested on charges of corruption, product tampering, and counterfeiting. Approximately R$2 million worth of products were seized.
The store under investigation is located in downtown Garuva. On social media, the store advertised products from brands such as Prada, New Balance, Vans, and Lacoste, among others. In one post, clothing bearing the Adidas logo was advertised as brand-name shirts, with a discount of R$25 at the time.
The store sold clothing, shoes, cosmetics, perfumes, beach chairs, costume jewelry, backpacks, insulated cups, and even video games.
How the operation began
The Paraná Civil Police launched the investigation back in 2025. On May 22, it carried out simultaneous raids at three locations of a retail chain in Curitiba, the state capital—with support from the Health Surveillance Agency, the Federal Revenue Service, the Paraná State Revenue Service, and the Municipal Department of Urban Planning.
The operation, carried out in the neighborhoods of Uberaba, Boqueirão, and São Braz, resulted in the arrest of three Chinese nationals caught in the act and the seizure of a large quantity of counterfeit products, including cosmetics, clothing, food, lighters, and e-cigarette liquids.
The Paraná Civil Police continued their investigation to identify and hold criminally liable the entire supply chain supporting the inspected establishments.
During the operation, investigators located a businessman in possession of a significant quantity of counterfeit products in the municipality of Guaratuba. Based on this, police cross-referenced information and identified a potential supplier operating in Garuva.
Operation in Garuva
The suspect was the target of Monday’s (6) operation. The Joinville Robbery Suppression Unit, led by Police Chief Murillo Batalha, executed a search and seizure warrant at the establishment, which resulted in the seizure of counterfeit cosmetics from various domestic and international brands, clothing, eyewear, and other products.
The business owner was arrested and will face charges of corruption, adulteration, or counterfeiting of cosmetic or sanitary products, which carries a prison sentence of 10 to 15 years and a fine. In addition, he was charged with aggravated receiving of stolen goods and tax evasion.
The operations carried out in Garuva required meticulous fieldwork to gather the material evidence essential for legal proceedings. “The information shared by the team from Paraná provided the investigative foundation upon which we built the body of evidence that supported the search and seizure warrants,” the police chief explained.
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