Irish Police Seize Counterfeit Apple Products Worth IDR 2.6 Billion, from AirPods to iPhone Accessories

Liputan6.com, Jakarta – A number of counterfeit Apple products with a value of USD 170,000 or the equivalent of IDR 2.6 billion were confiscated by police in County Mayo, west of Ireland.

This report revealed that more than 800 fake Apple devices, including AirPods and other iPhone accessories, were confiscated in business areas.

According to local radio station Newstalk, as quoted by Tekno Liputan6.com from Apple Insider, Tuesday (22/10/2024), the confiscation of these fake Apple products was worth more than USD 170,000.

These counterfeit Apple products were confiscated on Thursday and Friday, 17 to 18 October 2024. Police raided businesses in Castlebar, Westport, Ballinrobe and Claremorris.

This raid was a multi-operation and was carried out by the police crime unit on duty in Mayo, Roscommon and Longford.

Apart from the police, this investigation was also carried out by the Garda National Immigration Bureau, the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation Revenue, the Workplace Relations Commission, and the Social Welfare Special Investigations Unit.

A police spokesperson estimates that overall, intellectual property crimes such as counterfeit products cost the European Union economy more than 85 billion Euros (USD 92.4 billion) per year.

So far no arrests have been made, but a police investigation is ongoing. This case follows a previous case, namely the disclosure of similar counterfeit products last May with a value of USD 750,000 in a raid in Northern Ireland.

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