Fake watches seized at Catania fair: including counterfeit warranty seals

Last Updated: March 5, 2024

Alla fiera dell’orologio taroccato: maxi-sequestro a Catania, c'erano anche i finti sigilli di garanzia

The military of the provincial command of Catania of the Guardia di Finanza seized over 1,000 counterfeit items during a check at the historic market of the Fiera in the center of the city. The authorities found various counterfeit watches, some of high quality such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Cartier, Tag-Heuer, and Iwc, being sold at prices ranging from 50 to over 200 euros. Buyers could also request, for an additional fee, fake warranties for the watches, allowing them to resell the items as authentic with counterfeit guarantees, potentially fueling the secondary market on online platforms.

After observing and monitoring for several days, the finance police managed to locate the storage site of the goods in piazza Carlo Alberto. It was operated by a fifty-year-old Italian man who was reported for counterfeiting and receiving stolen goods. In the same premises, other counterfeit items were found: Armani suits, Moncler jackets, Dsquared and Louis Vuitton hats, Ralph-Lauren sweaters, and around 200 Nike shoes.

Following the operation, the officers from the rapid response company in Catania seized a total of 432 watches, 10 fake warranties, and 617 counterfeit clothing items with an estimated value of around 100,000 euros.