Hermes is not messing around when it comes to counterfeits. Last month, the
legendary luxury label shut down 34 counterfeit sites–and
won $100 million in damages–and now they’ve helped the French police
bust an international crime ring that produced and sold knockoffs of
their bags,
WWD is reporting.
Apparently, the illegal operation was making millions in
Hermes
counterfeits–one Paris public prosecutor put profits at 18 million
euros (or $22 million) for just one branch of the ring–and they were
doing it all with the help of actual Hermes employees.
“This
operation concludes a one-year investigation following an Hermes
complaint based on clues and abnormal behavior identified through the
house’s internal monitoring systems,” Hermes told
WWD.
It’s
unclear how exactly the employees facilitated the operation, but when
the French national police busted the ring on Thursday they found
clandestine workshops filled with precious leather skins. A dozen or so
individuals were believed to have been arrested, and two Hermes
employees have been dismissed. More employees of the luxury label could
be facing a similar fate, as Hermes believes that other current staff
members could also have been involved. Yikes.
Is it just us, or is it time for an anti-counterfeiter superhero to magically appear?
