Counterfeit goods worth 98 million UAH: ESBU exposed the manufacturing of fake "Moncler" and "Apple" products

 Detectives of the Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Lviv region exposed an organized group that produced and sold counterfeit clothing, footwear, and headwear under the "Moncler" trademark, as well as headphones and watches under the guise of "Apple" products. Detectives notified eight group members of suspicion. The amount of damage caused exceeds 98 million UAH.

The investigation established that since August 2025, the organizer of the group—an individual entrepreneur from the city of Busk, Zolochiv district—involved seven more persons in the illegal activity, including his wife and accomplices.

The members of the group had clearly distributed roles. Two suspects set up and controlled the operation of sewing workshops where clothing was manufactured and fake tags and labels were applied to it. Two more transported fabric, accessories, and finished products between the workshops, the warehouse, and retail outlets. Another member sold the counterfeit goods through a store in Lviv.

An accomplice was also involved in the scheme, who manufactured tags and price tags with forged signs for goods and services in his own printing house. The products were advertised and sold through pages on the "Instagram" social network, a channel in the "Telegram" messenger, an account on the "Prom.ua" marketplace, and their own online store.

Currently, ESBU detectives have stopped the illegal activity of the group. During searches in two stores, a warehouse, two sewing workshops, and at the residence of the organizer, a large batch of fake clothing, footwear, headwear, headphones, and watches were seized. Equipment and materials used for the manufacturing of counterfeit products were also seized.

The total amount of damages caused to the owners of the trademarks exceeds 98 million UAH.

The members of the group were notified of suspicion under Part 3 of Article 229 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (illegal use of signs for goods and services committed by an organized group, which caused material damage), and the accomplice of the scheme was notified under Part 5 of Article 27 - Part 3 of Article 229 of the CCU. The organizer of the group was additionally notified of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 229 of the CCU in connection with the sale of counterfeit electronics.

Procedural guidance is carried out by prosecutors of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor's Office. Operational support was provided by the 6th Volyn Border Guard Detachment of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and the Cyberpolice Department in the Lviv region of the CPD of the National Police of Ukraine.

According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court verdict.