Press Releases

Value of seized goods in US$ million dollars

Results of these Operations have been widely diffused among the international community.

Operation Jupiter, South America IV – 2008 
1 July - 30 September
 
In addition to Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay and two further countries, Bolivia and Peru, also took part. Close coordination, something which INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO) have jointly developed over a number of years, is essential in this type of operation and this is promoted by a joint support team which includes the IP Crime Unit at the INTERPOL General Secretariat in Lyon, France; the Sub-regional Bureau for South America, located in Buenos Aires, Argentina; a representative or Liaison Officer for each of the National Central Bureaus (NCBs) of the participating countries and, finally, a Liaison Officer appointed to each of the national Customs and Police Services of each country.

It should be noted that there has been an increase in the detection and seizure of smuggled and counterfeit agrochemicals, as well as illegal/smuggled medicines, in particular medicines which have a potentially serious and direct effect on human health, such as abortion inducing pills from Europe, counterfeit foodstuff, cosmetics without the required health authorization or regulation and also products which have an indirect effect on public health; seized toys manufactured from hospital waste, and light bulbs manufactured from material which has not been subjected to health and safety regulations.

Operations and actions per country:

Argentina:
Customs and police authorities seized a total of 176,242 units of fake designer clothing, plus 144 bundles with no indication of the number of items, to an estimated value of US$ 8,051,129. This figure constitutes 34% of the total number of seizures of such items made during the Operation.

Within the framework of “Fair Play Day”, designed to disrupt the illegal software trade, police authorities seized products to an approximate value of U$S 332,000 as well as 102 computers using illegal software.

Bolivia:
First experience of its kind, Bolivian police authorities boosted coordination with customs officials and the Intellectual Property National Service, to enhance the fight against this type of crime. Operations carried out by the police during the three months of OJ IV led to the seizure of approximately 50% of the annual total.

Brazil:
On 4 June, police authorities seized 3 tons of counterfeit agrochemicals (no indication of type or brand) together with empty containers and packing machines, to an estimated value of US$ 206,000.

On 30 June, the Customs “Operation Seguranca Total” led to the seizure of a shipment of 62 tons, including toys manufactured from hospital waste, potentially harmful to public health. The total shipment was valued at US$ 5,625,000.

On 28 July, police services disrupted a clandestine agrochemicals factory and seized labels for packaging, to an estimated value of U$S 70,000.

Between 9 and 11 September, police authorities seized three aeroplanes containing a smuggled consignment of electrical appliances and aviation parts of US origin. The used aeroplanes were intended to be commercialized unofficially in Sao Paulo State, while the spare parts were to be used to fix the said planes, which had been illegally brought into Brazil, thereby increasing their value for clandestine sale. The approximate value of the seizures was US$ 3,100,000.

On 16 September, in the largest operation carried out in Sao Paulo State, called ANUBIS, a Task Force was formed with 1,500 public agents from the Homestead Secretariat, the Federal Police, Traffic Police and the Military Police, the result of which was the seizure of goods to a value of over US$ 11,000,000.

Chile:
On 26 August and 16 September, police authorities seized processed meat products, which were a counterfeit version of a local brand and not manufactured to health or regulatory standards with an estimated value of US$10.000. This unprecedented discovery serves to undermine consumer trust, due to the possible health risks from products manufactured in unregulated and poorly sanitised conditions.

Paraguay:
On 11 November, after investigations carried out by the specialized unit within the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and with the close cooperation of an International Courier service which facilitated the use of its databases for the identification of illegal goods, Operation Puñal was carried out. This operation resulted in the seizure of 15,000 counterfeit video game DVDs, to an approximate value of US$ 600,000.

Similarly, private sector cooperation allowed for the delivery of “Operation Genovesa”, which resulted in the detection and seizure of a parcel containing 3,190 Cytotec abortion pills, to an approximate value of US$ 191,400. This medication was forwarded from Genoa, Italy, to be sold in local markets.

In the agrochemical field, there was a seizure of 16,000 litres of Glifosato, originating from China, with an estimated value of US$ 51,000.00. In another operation, 3,500 kg of Flutrianol, 1,000 kg of Imazytapyr and 23,500 kg of Methomil were seized, all having been smuggled, with an estimated value of US$ 450,000.

Peru:
Peruvian police authorities contacted the agencies with jurisdiction over intellectual property crimes, namely the Attorney General’s Office, the Customs and Piracy Crimes Commission, the National Tax Superintendence and the National Institute of Competition Defence and Intellectual Property Protection, in order to pursue the execution of coordinated work within the field.

In a number of operations undertaken by the Attorney General’s Office and the police, several counterfeit clothing manufacture and unregulated toy import workshops were searched. Such types of criminal practice had already been detected by Police and Customs in countries participating in OJ III in 2007, a fact which reinforces the importance of information exchange between countries within the OJ scheme.

The final results of Operation Jupiter IV led to the arrest of 311 people involved in Intellectual Property crimes, and the seizure of illegal goods and products to a potential market value of approximately US$ 132,213,583. This figure has surpassed the previous 2007 figure by 14% and is an increase of over 2,600% to the first OJ figure in 2004. Overview of seized products in 2008:

Uruguay:
Constant operational action against intellectual property crime was evident, and the number of arrests of people involved in organized crime was remarkable. A smaller market is important in the sense that it can reveal the percent of criminals arrested.

Operation Jupiter, South America III – 2007 
1st October - 31st December

Argentina:
In a major operation executed in Argentina against Intellectual Property Crime, several search warrants were carried out simultaneously in the market named ‘La Salada’, well known as a main centre for the sale of counterfeit goods, where 1 million CDs and DVDs, 8,638,000 films and music sleeve jackets, plus 273 burners were seized. Ten people were also arrested. The total value of goods seized in this operation was US$ 42,583,653.00.

A seizure of 5,250 pieces of counterfeited brand clothes, valued at U$S 3.300.000, was made. These goods were destined for Ciudad del Este, Paraguay.

A large quantity of machinery intended to manufacture clothing was discovered, together with 35,570 items of counterfeited clothing of various brands. The organizations responsible used laborers coming from Bolivia, Paraguay and Peru. For this reason, the National Directorate for Migration actively participated in this operation.

Brazil:
Operation ‘Seven Errors’ detected criminal organizations headed by Lebanese nationals involved in the illegal trade of computer equipment.

Operation ‘Ceres’ disrupted four organizations devoted to the smuggling of pesticides, cigarettes, tires and electronics. Work on this operation generated the issue of 76 search warrants and 60 arrest warrants, all of which were carried out in the States of Matto Grosso do Sul, Parana and Sao Paulo. In another operation named “H Hour” 1 ton of counterfeit watches were seized. 973,5kg marijuana; 2.35 kg crack, weapons and 1,704 cartridges of different calibers were seized over several operations. These crimes were directly related to those against Intellectual and Industrial Property. In the framework of the “National Anti-Piracy Day” 1,929 tons of seized counterfeit goods were destroyed.

Chile:
443 pieces of designer brand clothing, with an approximate value of US$ 30.000, were seized. This counterfeit merchandise was of Argentine origin, demonstrating regional links to this crime; also 2,784 counterfeited books were seized, valued at US$ 55,680

Paraguay:
Seizures of 188,200 counterfeit CDs and DVDs, plus 2,733,700 sleeve jackets for their commercialization, were made over a number of operations. An important part of the production of these goods was managed by the so-called ‘Ciudad del Este Piracy Cartel’, directed by Lebanese nationals already identified in Operation Jupiter II. A seizure of 23.000 units of counterfeit medicines for the treatment of erectile dysfunction was made. 

 Uruguay:
Three containers of counterfeit merchandise (brand clothes, watches, luxury accessories, computers equipment, among others) were made in various operations carried out at the port of Montevideo, with a value of US$ 1,670,000.00; a total of 167,920 counterfeit watches were seized over the duration of OJIII.
23,400 ecstasy tablets were seized, with a value of US$ 800,000.00.

With a total of 134 criminal procedures against organizations involved in Intellectual Property Crime and the number of seizures of counterfeit products now valued at an approximated US$ 121,895,631.00, OJIII has exceeded the achievements of OJII. Similarly, 185 persons were arrested as a result of OJIII, surpassing the preceding Operation Jupiter by 43%.

Operation Jupiter, South America II - 2006

An estimate of the potential retail value of contraband and counterfeit products seized by the five participating countries during this operation totals in excess of US$35 million. 54 searches were carried out in the greater Buenos Aires area resulting in the disruption of counterfeit human and animal medicine product manufacturing.

Operation Fireball, which focused on the apparent flow of counterfeit cigarettes from Paraguay to Brazil, resulted in 25 police operations in 11 Brazilian States. 360,000 blank CDs concealed as toy products and smuggled into Paraguay via Montevideo were seized. Uruguayan police arrested one organized criminal wanted by the Brazilian authorities in connection with Operation Fireball and the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice.

Operation Jupiter II was carried out shortly after the first, this time with the additional participation of Chile and Uruguay. The operation was facilitated and coordinated by INTERPOL’s IP Crime Unit and the INTERPOL Sub-regional Bureau for South America.

An analysis of the counterfeit and pirate products seized and suspects arrested in the tri-border region during Operation Jupiter – South America II clearly illustrated the nature and extent of transnational organized criminal involvement in these offences. A common denominator is that foreign nationals and nationals of Middle Eastern and Asian countries were well represented in these criminal conspiracies. Analysis indicated that typically transnational organized criminals of Arab, Indian and Pakistani origin have a controlling influence in informatics. Typically transnational organized criminals of Chinese origin have a controlling influence over CD/DVD pirate manufacturing and distribution as well as sports clothes and luxury goods.

Operation Jupiter, South America I   - 2005

It was launched with the support and participation of the national police forces of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Brazilian customs also joined the operation, together with representatives from pharmaceutical, recording, motion picture and tobacco cross-industry representative bodies.

During the operation, the International Federation for the Recording Industries (IFPI) worked with the federal authorities in Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay and was able to file a total of 14 complaints with supporting evidence and five individuals were arrested. Two of the arrests involved Taiwanese nationals with suspected links to organized crime.

In Brazil, customs authorities made 36 seizures and detained 79 suspects for smuggling and counterfeiting offences. The estimated value of the seized contraband/counterfeit goods was approximately 6.2 million reais (US$3.5 million). Of the 36 seizures, three were specific anti-counterfeiting operations which resulted in 29 arrests and seizures estimated at 747,000 reais.

On the Paraguay-Brazil border customs officials seized 2.24 million blank CDs, an increase of 80 per cent from previous levels. The Federal Highway Police also routinely seized bus and truckloads of blank CDs and DVDs in the border area destined to be used for the piracy of optical disks.

In Paraguay, there were seizures of some 8,700 cartons of counterfeit cigarettes. In the port of Asunción, as a result of information from one of the pharmaceutical companies participating in Operation Jupiter, more than five million counterfeit toothbrushes were seized.

INTERPOL is an international organization and cannot carry out these types of interventions alone. The role of the INTERPOL Intellectual Property Crime Unit is to act as a catalyst by facilitating and coordinating activities. It is the national law enforcement agencies who actually carry out the hard work, invest time and resources.