Counterfeit goods smugglers alter tactics
Smugglers are employing new techniques to deceive the authorities. Financial Crimes Squad Special Secretary Stavros Thomadakis revealed on Friday, for example, that counterfeit shoes arrive in Greece without any brand logos, as the latter arrive separately.
The squad recently intercepted some 200,000 forged logos for well-known brands and raided three locations where the details were stitched onto the counterfeit goods.
The Hellenic Confederation of Commerce and Enterprises (ESEE) estimates that the state’s annual losses due to smuggling total 3.5 billion euros, while the real economy misses out on 17-20 billion euros a year.
