A veritable offensive against the underground economy and the dangers it poses to consumers. This is what the Benevento Financial Police have recently launched, seizing, during a series of targeted checks, 38.000 products lacking the necessary safety information in Italian and 338 perfumes bearing counterfeit luxury brands.
The Guardia di Finanza's operations spread across the entire province, targeting several unregistered businesses.
The first raid took place in Arpaia, where financial police from the Economic and Financial Police Unit inspected a shop and found approximately 14.000 items for sale. Among costume jewelry, personal care, household, and beauty products, all the products lacked the minimum mandatory consumer information in Italian, in clear violation of the Consumer Code.
The next day, the same unit conducted a check in Circello. This time, too, the outcome was extremely serious: 17.000 items, including personal accessories, home accessories, and hardware products, were seized. Again, the goods were completely lacking any indication of origin or safety information in Italian.
A third operation, in the capital, Benevento, led to the seizure of another 7.000 pieces of costume jewelry, lacking the CE mark and the required warnings.
Administrative sanctions were imposed on the owners of the three affected businesses. They were reported to the Irpinia-Sannio Chamber of Commerce for violations of Legislative Decree no. 206/2005 (Consumer Code) and received fines totaling €3.000. All the seized goods were removed from sale.
The most serious incident, however, occurred last Sunday at the weekly market in Apice. Here, financial police from the Benevento Group intercepted a merchant who was selling 338 perfumes bearing the brands of world-famous international labels. In his complaint, however, he was unable to produce even a single document certifying the legitimate origin of the goods.
The man was therefore reported to the Benevento Public Prosecutor's Office for the crimes of selling counterfeit products and receiving stolen goods. The perfumes, obviously fake, were seized. It should be noted that, pending the outcome of the preliminary investigation, the accused person is presumed innocent until a final conviction is reached.
This impressive inspection activity demonstrates the Guardia di Finanza's constant commitment to ensuring legality in the economic system, protecting honest traders and, above all, consumer safety, which is too often put at risk by unchecked and counterfeit products.
