Suspected counterfeit goods seized in Cork City

Suspected counterfeit designer goods were seized by gardaí following a search in Cork City.

Gardaí in Cork have seized suspected counterfeit designer goods worth €3,000 following a search in the city on Thursday.

Gardaí searched a house in Mahon at around 9am as a part of an ongoing investigation into the sale of suspected counterfeit goods on social media.

A number of goods were seized including: 

• Gucci sunglasses 
• Gucci belt 
• Louis Vuitton purse 
• Louis Vuitton travel bag 
• Cartier bracelet 

Gardaí say they will speak to the manufacturers in order to determine if the goods are counterfeit.

"There is potential health and safety risk when it comes to certain counterfeit products, i.e. are they flame-retardant," said Chief Superintendent Barry McPolin.

"The selling of counterfeit goods can also play a significant part in the funding of organised crime groups who operate throughout the country.” 

A belt was among the goods seized.

Earlier in the week, gardaí in Dublin seized 15,000 electronic products worth an estimated €300,000.

A house in Dublin 3 and a business in Oak Close, Dublin 12, were searched as part of Operation Bannister.

During the course of the search at the business premises, a significant quantity of counterfeit products, including earphones, USB plugs, phone chargers, and game console controllers were discovered, along with a vast amount of branded packaging.

Hard drives and other electronic devices, including mobile phones, were also seized, along with relevant documentation.

Around 15,000 items believed to be counterfeit products were seized along with about 10,000 items of packing bearing particular brand names.