Street vendors arrested and more than a thousand fake items seized in Benalmádena swoops

National and Local Police officers took part in the operation to stop the sale of counterfeit goods and the sellers 'harming the image' of the Costa del Sol town

EUROPA PRESS

Thursday, 14 April 2022, 09:15

Police officers in Benalmádena have seized more than a thousand counterfeit products in the Puerto Marina and the promenade areas of the Malaga town. Six men have also been arrested

The joint operation, carried out by National and Local Police forces, and supported by a drone unit, led to recovery of numerous products imitating articles from well-known brands.

Among the counterfeit products seized were 209 bags, 505 T-shirts and sports trousers, 125 pairs of trainers, 155 pairs of sunglasses and 145 kits from various football teams.

The market value of the products estimated to be more than 20,000 euros. All the men arrested have previously been detained for similar crimes.

Harm local businesses

The town's mayor, Víctor Navas, said in a statement that: “These operations help stop such activities so they cannot harm the interest of our community’s local businesses, who work hard every day to create jobs and generate wealth.”

The councillor for Security, Javier Marín, explained that the operation was carried out following a meeting where it was estabished that illegal street vending as a problem in parts of the town.

“We want to send a message to the street vendors, as well as protect the interests of our small and mid-sized retailers. We will stay vigilant and continue these operations to stop and prevent activities of this kind as they directly harm the fabric of our businesses. They also hinder visitors to our town and harm our image”, said Marín.

The mayor also warned illegal vendors, saying: “this is not the only operation we will carry out. They will be periodically performed to prevent the sale of fake products on our streets.”