The Guardia Civil has seized more than 5,000 pieces of counterfeit jewellery from three souvenir shops in Cales de Mallorca, a holiday resort on the island’s east coast. If genuine, the items would have been worth more than €6 million.
Operation Trébol
The raid, named Operation Trébol, was carried out by the Guardia Civil’s tax and border unit based in Porto Cristo. Officers inspected the three shops and seized necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings — both costume jewellery and more expensive-looking pieces — copying the designs and logos of well-known international brands without permission.
The suspects
The three owners of the shops are under investigation for alleged offences against industrial property rights, which protect trademarks and designs.
The value
Experts from the brands affected examined the seized items and estimated that, had they been genuine, their market value would have exceeded €6 million.
Other breaches
During the inspection, officers also filed ten reports for possible administrative breaches of Balearic regulations on business activity and consumer protection.
The investigation remains open.
Why counterfeits matter
Counterfeit goods are often seen as harmless, but they:
- damage the businesses and designers whose work is copied;
- can contain materials that cause skin reactions, since they are not subject to safety controls;
- are frequently linked to organised crime networks;
- undermine shops that sell legitimate products.
Buying counterfeit goods for personal use is not usually a criminal offence in Spain, but selling them is. Police carry out regular inspections in tourist areas during the summer, when demand for cheap copies of designer goods is at its highest.
