Spain and Portugal dismantle counterfeit ring with over 109,000 fake items seized

The operation

Guardia Civil and Portugal's Republican National Guard (GNR) dismantled a transnational criminal organisation that imported, stored and distributed counterfeit goods, officials announced on Monday, 9 November 2026. The operation, named Malabis, was carried out under a European Investigation Order issued by Spanish judicial authorities and received support from Europol. Six people were detained in Ourense province, and a court ordered them into prison. The investigation was directed by the Tribunal de Instancia Plaza 1 de Xinzo de Limia together with the Ourense prosecutor's office. The six suspects are suspected of crimes against industrial property, criminal organisation, document forgery and money laundering.

Searches and seizures

Investigators carried out 12 searches, seven of them in Spain: four in Verín, two in Xinzo de Limia and one in A Gudiña, all in Ourense province. The remaining five took place in Portugal, in the Braga, Porto and Vila Real districts, on 6 and 7 November. Portuguese officers seized 22,083 garments there, with an estimated commercial value of 259,688.50 euros. Across both countries, more than 109,000 counterfeit items were seized, and their market value is put at over 10 million euros. The Guardia Civil said the goods showed exceptional reproduction quality, including brand markings and cloned QR codes.

Verín4

Xinzo de Limia2

A Gudiña1

Portugal (five districts)5

Verín

4 searches

Xinzo de Limia

2 searches

A Gudiña

1 searches

Portugal (five districts)

5 searches

Data from the article text

How the network operated

According to the investigation, the group ran its commercial activity, intermediaries and sales from Verín and Xinzo de Limia in Ourense province. Most of the logistics were moved to northern Portugal to conceal the activity, and the premises used there held large quantities of goods. The network relied on its own land transport alongside repeated shipments through express parcel companies. Investigators say the goods were destined for a range of retail outlets inside Spain. The Guardia Civil estimates the illicit yield at around 20 million euros a year, generated through wholesale sales of counterfeit clothing, footwear and accessories.

Resources and cooperation

The operation involved 186 personnel: 39 members of the GNR's Unidade de Acção Fiscal and 147 Guardia Civil officers. Four Spanish military personnel took part in the searches carried out on Portuguese territory. Europol provided support as part of international police cooperation. The Spanish side issued the European Investigation Order that framed the Portuguese searches, linking the two national inquiries.