Counterfeit items seized in crackdown on street trading

Marbella’s Local Police issued 510 formal reports for violations related to illegal street trading and confiscated 40,000 items destined for destruction during a campaign conducted between September 2025 and August 2026.

The operation focused particularly on the sale of counterfeit goods and food vending outside authorised locations, with special attention given to promenades, beaches and other high-footfall areas during the peak tourist season.

Security councillor José Eduardo Díaz emphasised officers carried out a “very intensive operation, given the municipality’s 27 kilometres of coastline, targeting both the unauthorised street sale of fruit and pastries as well as unlicensed merchandise”.

The councillor noted that the summer surge in visitors also led to increased illegal vending in heavily crowded areas- most notably along seafront promenades, hospitality venues and beaches. Díaz highlighted that “the promenades in particular have been kept clear of these products”, following what he described as “very tough” and “highly complex” work.

Out of the overall total, 510 citations specifically relate to actions against counterfeit goods - items that, as the councillor noted, can constitute a criminal offence. Alongside these citations, 40,000 items were seized and sent for destruction.

Díaz stressed that this activity “causes tax and economic fraud as well as unfair competition” for legitimate businesses. He also confirmed that the 2026–2027 campaign is already under way.

Finally, Díaz called for public cooperation, warning that behind certain distribution networks “there may be organised syndicates profiting from the fraudulent trade of these goods”. He added that the public can help combat them by refusing to buy counterfeit items and reporting illicit sales to the police.