Belgium: Authorities raid Luxury boutique selling counterfeit goods
Extensive merchandise stock confiscated
Officers of the local task force of the Liège police (Task Force Zonale de la Zone de Police de Liège), together with officials from the Federal Public Service (FPS) for the Economy, raided a store selling counterfeit luxury goods on Avenue de Jupille in the city of Liège in eastern Belgium on 19 August. According to information released by the Liège Public Prosecutor’s Office in late August, the boutique was selling counterfeit clothing and fake accessories, including bags, belts, eyewear, wallets, and jewelry. The illegal items apparently bore well-known brand names, including Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Versace, Gucci, and others. Officials found an extensive inventory, including several hundred items of clothing, dozens of handbags and other leather goods, as well as about thirty watches and pieces of jewelry. They seized the entire inventory.
Test purchase by a brand protection service provider triggered investigations
According to the authorities, the store had already opened more than a year ago, in July 2025. The illegal trade was now uncovered after a test purchase by a service provider specializing in combating counterfeiting, collaborating with Belgian customs, police, and the FPS Economy. The FPS Economy then opened a case file; according to the reports, the subsequent investigation led to the store and ultimately to the raid.
Following the operation, investigators also searched the residence of the suspect, who is believed to have run the business alone. The suspect had reportedly been working off the books while also receiving health insurance benefits.
Sources: Ministère Public/Openbaar Ministerie, RTBF | Article in co-operation with Anti-Piracy Analyst
