Seen and heard: counterfeiting news in brief

Counterfeit coffee, airbag faker pleads guilty, knock-off microgreens in Russia and Dubai's Q1 customs seizures.

Counterfeit coffee seized en route to European Union

More than five tons of counterfeit coffee mimicking Nestle's Nescafe brand have been seized in Riga, Latvia, along with coffee processing and packaging equipment, by customs officers, reports the Xinhua news agency. The Customs Police found 21 palettes with coffee that had Nescafe Gold Blend labels in a warehouse, along 1,260 500g jars and 6,048 750g jars. A coffee processing plant in Riga has been identified as the consigner, and a Lithuanian company as a consignee, says the report. Nestle has estimated that losses from the counterfeits could amount to €500,000.

Airbag counterfeiter pleads guilty

Vitaliy Fedorchuk (28) of Antelope, California, has pleaded guilty to five counts of mail fraud for an international scheme to sell counterfeit airbags via eBay and other internet sales sites, according to a statement from the US Attorney's Office in Sacramento. According to US Attorney Phillip Talbert, Fedorchuk offered for sale airbag modules, covers, and manufacturer emblems at his eBay online store, redbarnautoparts, claiming they were genuine part from carmakers including Honda, Fiat, Chrysler, Nissan, Toyota, GMC and Ford. He sold hundreds of counterfeit airbags, putting purchasers at risk, and raised more than $95,000.

Microgreens producer says counterfeits are on sale in Russia

2BFresh – an Israeli producer of health foods – has issued advice to its customers on how to avoid counterfeit versions of its microgreen products after discovering fakes being sold in Russia, says a FreshPlaza.com article. Microgreens are a mixture of edible immature greens that are claimed to have greater nutritional properties than mature plants, and have become increasingly popular with health-conscious consumers. The counterfeit product carries faked 2BFresh label and contains microgreens which were not grown or handled by 2BFresh and - the company asserts - are of inferior quality.

Dubai fake goods seizures top $30m in first quarter of 2017

Counterfeit versions of luxury brand products including women’s bags, belts and expensive watches worth Dh114.5 million ($31m) were seized by Dubai Police in the first quarter of 2017, according to a Gulf News report. The authorities have investigated 71 cases so far this year relating to counterfeit goods, and arrested 77 suspects. As an international trading hub with the Middle East's biggest port, Dubai is known to be a key location for transhipment of counterfeit goods and other forms of illicit trade.