Gardaí seize fake goods worth thousands of euro

GARDAÍ have warned they will continue to seize counterfeit goods following two raids in Cork that netted fake DVDs, clothing and footwear.

A garda spokesman revealed yesterday that detectives had raided a house in Fermoy, where they found sophisticated equipment for copying DVDs.

The spokesman said that following a complaint, detectives, accompanied by officials from the copyright protection agency INFACT, raided a house on the north side of the town where they seized 500 DVDs. They were described as being the best quality copies. Some were new releases, including Shrek 3.

“The films appeared to be downloaded off the internet and then burnt onto DVDs. This was a sophisticated operation. We also seized computers, scanners, printers and hard drives,” the spokesman said.

A man in his mid-50s was arrested at the scene under the Copyright Act and taken to Fermoy garda station.

He was detained for a number of hours before being released without charge.

The garda spokesman said a file would now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Cork city confirmed that they seized counterfeit clothing and footwear worth more than €10,000 in a raid on a premises in the Cornmarket Street area.

“The brands seized include Nike, Adidas and Lacoste. This is part of an ongoing operation in the city aimed at seizing counterfeit goods,” a garda spokesman said.

“People should buy brand names from reputable outlets, where the quality is far superior.”

Cork Business Association (CBA) has welcomed the garda crackdown on counterfeit goods.

CBA is asking anybody coming across them to notify the authorities.