Assembly Plant of Counterfeit Luxury Cars is Raided in Santa Catarina

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A manufacturer of counterfeit Ferrari and Lamborghini cars was raided in the city of Itajaí, the Santa Catarina Civil Police said.

On Monday, July 15th, eight replicas which were being assembled were seized and the owners of the plant, father and son, will be indicted.

In this Monday’s operation, the police found chassis, molds, tools, and fibers used in manufacturing.

The illegal production was conducted in the Itaipava neighborhood of Itajaí.

The cars were assembled by order, and sales were advertised on social media. They cost approximately eight percent of the original’s value.

Father, son, and an employee who was on site were interviewed and released, according to the delegate in charge of the case, Angelo Fragelli. Their identity was not revealed by the police.

The investigations, coordinated by Delegate Angelo Fragelli, of the Police Station of the District of Itajaí, began to be carried out after representatives of the brands themselves contacted the Civil Police of Santa Catarina.

Those involved in the clandestine factory are considered by the police as the main counterfeiters of the brands in Brazil and sold vehicles for the whole country.

The crime of violating industrial property rights is deemed a misdemeanor, not as serious as a felony.

There are reports that the illegal manufacturing facility had more workers.

“If they are knowledgeable of the facts, of the illegality of what they were producing, in fact, they may all be liable for criminal violation of industrial property rights,” the delegate explained.

The brand owners contacted the civil police and filed a complaint. The cars were sold all across the country, mainly on social media.

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