OMA (World customs organization).- Hundreds arrested in Customs and police anti-counterfeiting operations across South America

Hundreds arrested in Customs and police anti-counterfeiting operations across South America

Brussels, 1 October 2010

Press Release

A transnational operation coordinated by the World Customs Organization (WCO) and INTERPOL targeting organized criminal counterfeiting networks across 13 countries in South America has resulted in more than 600 arrests and the seizure of fake goods worth 50 million US dollars.

Carried out under the umbrella of Operation Jupiter, goods recovered by Customs and police officers across the region included fake satellite receivers and car parts, counterfeit soft drinks and falsely-branded designer sneakers demonstrating the wide range of counterfeit consumer products being trafficked into the mainstream market. A large quantity of counterfeit and sub- standard toys which pose a significant risk to children’s health and safety were also seized.

Since the launch of the operation in March, more than 300 raids and checks have been conducted across a variety of locations including border control checkpoints, seaports and commercial centres with investigations also resulting in the discovery of workshops capable of mass-producing counterfeit goods within the region.

“International coordination coupled with national cooperation has been the key to Operation Jupiter’s success and I am quite sure that this excellent Customs-Police partnership will continue to take even more dangerous fake goods out of the marketplace and deliver even more criminals “trading” in these goods into the hands of justice,” said Secretary General of the WCO, Kunio Mikuriya.

“Operation Jupiter continues to go from strength to strength, and this is entirely due to the dedication and efficiency of police and Customs officials working together in the field, combined with the support of the private sector and national prosecutors,” said Roberto Manriquez, INTERPOL’s Operation Jupiter project manager.

“INTERPOL will continue to work with all of our member countries to target and dismantle the organized crime gangs behind counterfeits and fakes which not only pose a significant threat to the health and safety of consumers, but also affects national economies which during these times of global financial crisis can have even more serious consequences,” added Manriquez.

“This on going project once again proved the effectiveness of law enforcement cooperation in combating transnational crime,” said Allen Bruford, WCO Deputy Director of Compliance and Facilitation.

The fifth operation in South America since Jupiter was launched in 2005, the project has not only resulted in the seizure of an estimated 340 million dollars worth of counterfeit goods but also helped national police identify and dismantle gangs involved in gun and drugs smuggling.

In addition to coordinating the operational deployments, the WCO and INTERPOL also carried out a series of training seminars, providing frontline officers with the investigative techniques required for these specialised actions.

Final results from Operation Jupiter V, which involved Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France (French Guyana), Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela, will be released upon its completion.

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INTERPOL:
La Organización Internacional de Policía Criminal - INTERPOL es la mayor organización de policía internacional, con 188 países miembros, por lo cual es la segunda organización internacional más grande del mundo, tan sólo por detrás de las Naciones Unidas. Creada en 1923, apoya y ayuda a todas las organizaciones, autoridades y servicios cuya misión es prevenir o combatir la delincuencia internacional.

El cuartel general de la organización está en Lyon, Francia. El 13 de febrero de 2008 se confirmó en el cargo de presidente interino a Arturo Herrera Verdugo, director general de la Policía de Investigaciones de Chile. Por ser anteriormente el vicepresidente de mayor antigüedad debió asumir debido a la renuncia el 13 de enero de 2008 de Jack Selebi, quien fue cesado de su cargo de jefe de la policía sudafricana debido a las acusaciones de corrupción que enfrenta tras hacerse pública su relación de amistad con Glenn Agliotti, conocido mafioso de su país. Arturo Herrera ocupó el cargo hasta la reunión de la Asamblea General de la organización en octubre de 2008, donde se eligió a Khoo Boon Hui. El secretario general es Ronald K. Noble, quien anteriormente estuvo en el Departamento del Tesoro de los Estados Unidos, siendo el primer no europeo en ocupar el cargo.

Debido al papel políticamente neutro que debe jugar, la constitución de la Interpol prohíbe cualquier tipo de relación con crímenes que no afecten a varios países miembros, y ningún tipo de crímenes políticos, militares, religiosos o raciales. Su trabajo se centra en la seguridad pública, el terrorismo, el crimen organizado, tráfico de drogas, tráfico de armas, tráfico de personas, blanqueo de dinero, pornografía infantil, crímenes económicos y la corrupción.