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Shoppers browsing the weekly market in Puerto de Mazarrón last weekend may have thought they had stumbled across a bargain of a lifetime. Instead, they were looking at what the Guardia Civil now say were hundreds of counterfeit designer goods laid out neatly on a market stall.

 

In an operation carried out by officers from the Fiscal and Border Protection Unit, the force seized items with an estimated market value of an astonishing €116,000, and went on to launch an investigation into the person running the stall.

 

According to the Guardia Civil, the seized goods included nearly 300 items purporting to belong to well-known brands, such as jewellery, watches and handbags. On closer inspection, however, those “prestigious brands,” as they put it, did not quite stand up to scrutiny.

 

Officers were conducting a routine preventive inspection at the weekly market in Puerto de Mazarrón when one particular stall caught their attention. The prices, they say, were far lower than what shoppers would expect to pay in official shops or even reputable online stores. That was the first red flag.

 

A more detailed examination followed. Specialists noted irregular finishes, the absence of proper labelling and logos that simply did not match the quality associated with genuine products.

 

 

Specifically, officers counted nearly 300 pieces of jewellery including earrings, rings, bracelets and pendants, more than 50 watches and 20 luxury handbags on display. All were seized on suspicion of being counterfeit.

 

The Guardia Civil commented, “The person running the street stall has been investigated as the alleged perpetrator of a crime against industrial property.”

 

In Spain, offences against industrial and intellectual property rights can carry significant fines and even prison sentences, depending on the scale and intent. In a case such as this, where the falsification of brand names is involved, punsihments can include a prison sentence of 1 to 4 years.

 

Markets across the Region of Murcia remain a popular draw for residents and tourists alike, offering everything from fresh produce to clothing and accessories. But, as the Guardia Civil in Puerto de Mazarrón were quick to point it, if a designer item looks too good to be true at a fraction of the usual price, it probably is.

 

The investigation is ongoing.

 

Images: Guardia Civil