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Wait a minute: In Cologne, customs officials seized almost 24 tons of counterfeit branded washing powder
Photo: Friso Gentsch/dpa
Customs officials seized almost 24 tons of counterfeit branded washing powder in Cologne. The powder was in around 5,400 counterfeit packages from a well-known manufacturer and was supposed to be brought to Germany by truck from Turkey, the main customs offices in Cologne and Aachen announced on Wednesday. The value of the original goods is around 110,000 euros.
The truck load should be cleared at the Cologne-Wahn customs office. However, since officials had doubts about the authenticity of the product, they took a sample and sent it to the manufacturer, who confirmed their suspicions. At the company's request, the counterfeit goods have now been destroyed, it said. The company could now take civil action against the recipient from Mülheim an der Ruhr.
"This enormous amount is just above the average daily consumption of washing powder for all residents of the city of Cologne combined," explained the spokesman for the Cologne Main Customs Office, Jens Ahland, about the find. When it comes to counterfeit products, many people primarily think of expensive handbags, watches or shoes, but counterfeit button cell batteries, razor blades, light bulbs and condoms are also confiscated.
The responsible customs in Aachen were responsible for destroying the powder. According to his information, the powder was initially taken from the storage location in Cologne to a disposal company in Düren due to the expected generation of dust. Here, a shredding machine separated the 23,600 plastic bags with the logo of a well-known detergent brand from the contents. The washing powder was then mixed with other waste and burned.
czl/dpa/AFP