Inspectors seize hundreds of thousands of counterfeit toys and household goods
The Economic Inspectorate has seized hundreds of thousands of counterfeit products ranging from toys to washing powder, the FPS Economy said on Thursday.
The investigation, conducted by the inspectorate with the Brussels and Halle-Vilvoorde public prosecutors’ offices and the local police in the Brussels North zone, uncovered several warehouses and a workshop.
In all, inspectors seized 350,000 counterfeit toys, mainly soft toys, figurines and playing cards, 20,000 litres of liquid detergent and 16 tonnes of washing powder.
The discovery of a workshop producing counterfeit perfumes led to the withdrawal of 10,000 products from the market. Three clandestine shops selling large quantities of counterfeit clothes, accessories and shoes were also uncovered in the area around Brussels North station. More than 16,000 products were seized.
Counterfeiting is not confined to luxury goods: of the 635,000 products seized between 2019 and 2023, 40 per cent were toys and 38 per cent were care products. These can be toxic or dangerous because they do not meet any of the strict criteria for being placed on the market.
The loss of revenue to the Belgian economy by the trade in counterfeit products amounts to around 436 million euros a year. The reduction in revenue from VAT and personal and corporate taxes also results in a loss of more than 584 million euros for the state.
© PHOTO FPS ECONOMY
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