Number of Customs Detentions Increase in Slovenia in 2012

According to the Slovenian Customs’s report, in 2012 the Slovenian customs officials discovered and detained a total of 830,867 counterfeit items on 555 separate occasions.

Although the number of detentions slightly increased compared to the previous few years, the overall number of detained items was the lowest since 2009.

The report states that the majority of detained counterfeits entered Slovenia by sea at the Port of Koper, southwestern Slovenia, and by mail in the capital of Ljubljana. However, an increase in goods entering Slovenia through other entry points has been detected, indicating changes in traffic route trends.

Counterfeit goods mainly originated in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and India. Main final destinations were Slovenia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Croatia and Montenegro.

In 2012, the most prevalent counterfeit goods were lighters, blank CDs and DVDs, jewelry, perfumes, batteries, watches, handbags and toys.

The customs officials detained 1,749 pieces of counterfeit medicine, mainly originating in India and purchased by individuals online.

The report highlighted the detention of 32,567 bottles of counterfeit perfume in October 2012. The goods were found in a railway container arriving from Turkey and passing through Slovenia on its way to the Netherlands. Their potential sales value on the EU market was estimated at EUR 2.7 million (USD 3.5 million).

Prepared by: Andrej Bukovnik and Maja Znidaric

For more information, please contact slovenia@petosevic.com.

Source: Slovenian Customs Administration’s report