Police seize 1000s of fake cosmetics in Poland

European police have seized thousands of counterfeit cosmetics and made six arrests in raids on 14 sites in Poland.

The action brought together Europol and Polish police to dismantle a gang responsible for the production, storage and distribution of fake cosmetics. Raids uncovered 60,000 fake shampoo labels, 12,000 bottles, 15,000 boxes of body creams and 8,200 bottles of perfumes. along with 10 tonnes of counterfeit washing powder. 

The scale of the operation led to a private company, which saw its products were faked by the gang, becoming aware of the counterfeiters and alerting Europol. Authorities made six arrests during the raids. Among the arrestees is a man sentenced previously for counterfeiting.

Polish police believe the man was part of a counterfeiting gang responsible for shipping 90,000 fake creams to the UK.

The low risks, in terms of penalty, and the high profits generated by this kind of activity are increasingly attracting organised crime groups. Individuals involved in this case were also known for drugs and cigarettes trafficking, said Europol.