4,000 TV set-top boxes seized by gardaí during European-scale operation

More than 6,300 items and materials suspected of counterfeiting or copyrights have been seized by An Garda Síochána during an operation across Europe.

Operation Aphrodite, coordinated through Europol, saw more than 20 European countries undertake operational activities aimed at infringement of intellectual property rights.

In this jurisdiction, participation in the operation involved targeting the sale and online advertising (including through social networks) of illicit television products.

The operation was coordinated at the national level by the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (GNBCI), which engaged with the industry to obtain evidence of intellectual property rights violations online.

This operation had the full support of specific industrial partners, Gardaí said.

An Garda Síochána carried out 14 individual investigations related to the sale of counterfeit and copyrighted products during the course of the operation, and the GNBCI coordinated the investigation when appropriate.

The investigations were carried out in Dublin, Waterford, Tipperary, Mayo and Laois.

In total, An Garda Síochána seized 6,340 items and materials suspected of counterfeiting or copyrights.

The nature of the seized products included allegedly counterfeit batteries and accessories, telephone parts and accessories, various types of clothing, including footwear and sportswear, and illicit set-top boxes.

The investigation led to the seizure of 4,000 top boxes installed in three private searches carried out in the Midlands and Dublin.

Two of the searches went to wholesale-level distributors.

Investigation files are being prepared to present to the Director of the Public Ministry for his consideration, in relation to alleged infringements of the provisions of Article 140 of the Copyright and Related Rights Law of 2000 and Article 92 of the Trademark Law 1996 (Counterfeiting).

Over the course of the operation, the information coordinated through GNBCI resulted in a total of 4,200 websites selling copyrighted materials throughout the European Union and beyond identification.