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Fake Apple products worth more than Rs 1.4 crore seized in Ireland – ET CISO
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800 counterfeit Apple devices have been reportedly seized in Ireland. According to a report by Irish radio station Newstalk, the country’s police have claimed that these devices, including AirPods and iPhone accessories, worth an estimated $173,904 (more than 1.4 crores) were reportedly seized in County Mayo. The raids which targeted businesses in several Irish towns, including Castlebar, Westport, Ballinrobe, and Claremorris were conducted earlier this week.
This multi-agency operation involved the local police crime unit, the Garda National Immigration Bureau and other agencies. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made yet, the report added.
Counterfeiting reportedly remains a significant problem, costing the EU economy an estimated €85 billion ($92.4 billion) annually. This recent seizure follows a similar operation in Northern Ireland in May 2024, where counterfeit goods worth $750,000 were confiscated.
Latest ‘fake’ iPhone scams
In July, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Bengaluru raided two shops selling counterfeit Apple products and substandard cables from various brands. Fake AirPods Pro, USB-C to Lightning cables, and cables falsely labelled with brands like AV Guard and Poly Cab were seized, totalling over Rs 14 lakh in value. The investigation was later handed over to local police.
Earlier this year, five individuals from China were charged with defrauding Apple out of over $12 million by swapping counterfeit iPhones for genuine ones at Apple Stores in California. The elaborate scheme, which spanned from 2014 to 2024, involved using fake iPhones with stolen identification numbers to deceive Apple employees into providing replacements under warranty. The defendants face multiple charges, including wire fraud and identity theft.
Previously, two men were also found guilty of defrauding Apple out of over $3 million by submitting counterfeit iPhones for repair and receiving genuine replacements. The scam involved importing fake iPhones from Hong Kong and using spoofed serial numbers to deceive Apple.
