More than €114,000 worth of cash and suspected counterfeit goods has been seized following garda searches targeting intellectual property crime in west Dublin.
The operation was carried out on Friday by the Intellectual Property Unit attached to the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation at two separate properties.
During the searches, gardaí seized €88,130 in cash, mobile phones and suspected counterfeit clothing with an estimated value of €26,000.
The suspected fake designer items will now undergo further examination as part of the investigation.
No arrests have been made at this stage, while gardaí said investigations are continuing.
Ireland's Revenue and Customs officials regularly intercept massive shipments of fake designer clothes, footwear, and accessories at entry points like Dublin Airport and the Dublin Mail Centre. Millions of euros in counterfeit goods are seized annually.
Sellers typically use online platforms, social media ads, and sometimes street markets to move the fakes. Authorities warn about fake social media storefronts that use Irish-sounding names to trick buyers into purchasing low-quality knockoffs.
Reports from the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) indicate that Irish consumers are among the largest buyers of fake goods in Europe, with a high percentage of young people intentionally purchasing counterfeits.
