Durrant Pate/ Contributor

A joint operation by the police’s Specialised Investigation Branch (SIB) and the Financial Investigations Division (FID), seized more than $75 million in cash and millions in counterfeit goods during operations in Kingston and St. Andrew last Friday, August 7. 

Two individuals have since been charged with Possession of Criminal Property, Unauthorised Use of a Trade Mark and Misleading the Public. They were granted bail in the sum of JMD 1.5 million each and are to appear in the Corporate Area Criminal Court on September 10.

Reports are that on Friday, August 7, between 1:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., members of the SIB and FID executed search warrants at an establishment on Orange Street in downtown Kingston and a residence in Red Hills, St. Andrew. 

During the search at the Orange Street premises, both accused were present, and officers discovered a large cache of counterfeit footwear and clothing displayed on shelves and stored in boxes. The seizure included 326 pairs of Nike Air Force, 170 pairs of Gucci slippers, 132 pairs of Reebok shoes, 52 Nike slippers, among other brands. 

The estimated retail value of the items seized is approximately JMD $4 million. In addition to the counterfeit goods, the police seized significant quantities of cash at both the Orange Street location and the accused premises in Red Hills. 

Large amount of cash also seized

Cash was also seized from a bus owned by one of the accused. The police are advising the public that purchasing counterfeit products illegally manufactured and sold under another company’s brand name may pose serious risks to customers, as they are often produced without adherence to safety and quality standards. 

The illicit trade of counterfeit merchandise is also a primary funding source for organised crime. Investigations continue.