Macedonian Customs Detain Energy Drinks, Razors, Apparel

During regular controls at Macedonia’s border crossings in the period May 30-June 22, 2011, the customs officials detained a considerable quantity of goods bearing well-known brand names, believed to be counterfeit.

In the week of May 30-June 5, the customs officials detained 19,305 liters of energy drinks bearing the mark of Boss of the Boss, 840 pairs of sneakers bearing the mark of All Star, 286 pairs of children’s sandals bearing the mark of Nike, and 84 balls bearing the mark of Adidas.

In the week of June 6-12, the officials detained 25,920 disposable razors bearing the mark of Gilitttey, resembling the logo of Gillette, as well as 2,800 disposable razors bearing the mark of Gillette. The customs officials also detained 2,935 shirts, tracksuits, Bermuda shorts, bags, and belts bearing the marks of Adidas, Puma, Armani, Louis Vuitton, Converse, Chanel, Kappa, Gucci, Calvin Klein, and Dolce & Gabbana, as well as 149 soccer balls bearing the mark of Adidas.

In the week of June 13-19, the officials detained 26 pairs of men’s jeans bearing the mark of Emporio Armani, while on June 22, the officials detained a total of 2,093 shirts, soccer jerseys, and slippers bearing the marks of Adidas, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Tom Tailor, and Dior.

The goods, which were found in trucks with Macedonian and Turkish license plates, originated in China and Turkey, and were intended for the Macedonian, Georgian, and Kosovo markets.

The Macedonian Customs Administration also destroyed 1,120 shirts and 1,160 tracksuits bearing the mark of Cucci in Gevgelija, southern Macedonia, on June 16, 2011, following confirmation that the detained goods, which originated in Turkey, were counterfeits. If they had been sold as originals on the market, the total value of the detained goods would have been approximately EUR 227,700 (USD 322,500).

For more information, please contact Aleksandra Pavlovic at our Macedonia office.

Source: Macedonian Customs