A sample of the counterfeit Apple products seized in the raid — image credit: An Garda Sachna
Reports of counterfeiting in County Mayo, western Ireland, have led local police to seize more than 800 counterfeit devices, including AirPods, from businesses in the area.
According to local radio station Newstalk, the seized counterfeits were worth an estimated $173,904. As well as AirPods, they included various iPhone accessories,
The counterfeits were seized over Thursday and Friday, October 17 and 18, 2024. Police raided businesses across Castlebar, Westport, Ballinrobe and Claremorris
It was a multi-agency operation, centered on the local police crime unit that covers the counties of Mayo, Roscommon, and Longford. The investigation also used the Garda National Immigration Bureau, the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation Revenue, Workplace Relations Commission, and the Social Welfare Special Investigations Unit.
A police spokesperson estimated that overall, intellectual property crime such as these counterfeit products costs the EU economy over 85 billion Euro ($92.4 billion) per year.
No arrests have yet been made, but the police investigation is ongoing.
This case in Ireland follows one in May 2024 where similar counterfeits worth $750,000 were seized in raids in Northern Ireland.