Fakes worth millions seized in Interpol-led raids

An Interpol-led sting led to the seizure of nearly $30 million worth of counterfeit goods in 11 countries in North and South America, the Lyon-based organisation said on Thursday. About 200 people were arrested in the raids. The goods ranged from toys and cigarettes to engine oil and computer material. Operation Maya, which ran from March 1 to 15, revealed "increasingly elaborate efforts by criminals to avoid detection," a statement said. It said items were "smuggled into a country via one route while counterfeit trade mark materials including stickers for computers, batteries, mobile phones and even car emblems, were sent separately to be used later to ‘brand' the products." "Operation Maya again shows that there is no product which is not being counterfeited and criminals are using every means available to traffic fake and illicit goods," said its project manager, Roberto Manriquez. The raids were conducted in the United States, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Operation Maya was launched with the support of the US Department of Justice and US Patent and Trademark Office. It was based on Interpol's Operation Jupiter model which, since its launch in 2004, has led to more than 1,660 arrests and the seizure of more than 12 million fake goods worth more than $500 million (377 million euros).