The Customs Surveillance Service and the Mossos d'Esquadra have dismantled in Fogars de la Selva the largest factory of counterfeit luxury perfumes detected so far in Europe. The operation, carried out with the collaboration of French customs, has led to the arrest of seven people and the investigation of eleven others for alleged crimes of belonging to a criminal organization, smuggling, and against industrial property. The two alleged leaders of the network remain at large.
Large-scale production in Fogars de la Selva
The main warehouse, located in the industrial estate of Fogars de la Selva, next to another adjoining warehouse, had seven production lines and a capacity of up to 16,000 perfumes daily. The annual volume could reach four million bottles. In total, agents have seized 1,210,000 counterfeit perfumes from more than 50 luxury brands, including Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Xerjoff, and Yves Saint Laurent, with market prices reaching up to 400 euros per unit.
The packaging material and the bottles arrived from China, while the essences used were of French origin. Investigators located seven bottling machines, 250 references of essences, and large quantities of denatured alcohol. In the adjoining warehouse, connected by a hidden door, material necessary to give an appearance of originality to the products was stored, such as caps, labels, adhesives, and electronic alarms.
Logistics network and international export
The organization used warehouses in Arbúcies and Sant Feliu de Buixalleu to store the product before its export. The perfumes were sent to the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, and France under the cover of an apparently legal company. The shipments were made in boxes labeled in French as "FRAGILE", identical to those seized in the first operation in France.
In a warehouse in Sant Feliu de Buixalleu, drums of up to 100 liters of denatured alcohol and more essences were seized. In Arbúcies, the Mossos located 350,000 bottles ready for European distribution. In addition, 872,000 full bottles were found awaiting labeling at the main plant.
Investigation initiated after border intervention
The investigation was activated in October of last year, when French customs intercepted a van with 2,600 bottles of counterfeit perfumes that had crossed the border from Spain. The Mossos and Customs Surveillance detected constant movements of trucks and vans with foreign license plates, especially Romanian ones, carrying boxes similar to those seized in France.
"The surprise is that when they enter the ship they find offices of a company registered in the wholesale trade of perfumes and cosmetics, with shelves full of perfumes of different brands" - Carlos Gavilanes, head of Customs Surveillance in Catalonia
The weekend of February 6 and 7, in Puigcerdà, uniformed patrols of the Mossos detected several trucks in the industrial area. Upon checking the cargo, they confirmed that they were transporting perfumes and that the documentation presented irregularities. The drivers declared as witnesses and the merchandise was taken into custody.
Operation of the organization and current situation
According to police officials, the activity could have started in 2021. The company was incorporated in 2020 and in 2023 it expanded its infrastructure by renting a new warehouse. The economic value of the seized material exceeds 94 million euros, taking the price of the original products as a reference.
"The sales circuit was not that of the 'top manta' nor that of street markets; the product traveled to other countries to be sold at the real price, with the objective of deceiving the consumer and maximizing profit" - Those responsible for the operation
The organization, according to the investigation, operated like a multinational, subcontracting transport companies to distribute the product in Europe. The factory administrators would be a couple, she with knowledge in perfume making and he in charge of the commercial and distribution part, both wanted by the police.
The facility did not comply with regulations on perfume manufacturing nor did it meet adequate sanitary conditions. The investigation remains open and agents are analyzing documentation and digital media to identify the entire distribution network and determine the scope of the structure.