Riga counterfeit motor oil operation supplying Italian shops uncovered by police

Latvia's State Police have asked prosecutors to launch criminal proceedings over a large-scale counterfeit motor oil production operation that supplied stores in Italy, the agency told LETA.

The discovery

In January of last year, police in the Riga region found that counterfeit motor oil was being produced in industrial premises in the capital. During a search, officers seized roughly 140,000 litres of oil bearing the trademarks of well-known brands — General Motors, Mobil 1, Castrol and Ford Motorcraft — none of which were actually involved in producing it. Investigators also found equipment for manufacturing plastic bottles, bottle moulds, packaging, empty container samples and caps.

Suspects and the scheme

According to the investigation, the operation was organised and led by two men, born in 1982 and 1983, connected to a company registered in Latvia — one served as its de facto financial and operational manager, the other was an employee. Neither had previously come to police attention. Police say both Latvian nationals and workers from countries outside the European Union were hired for the production process. The finished counterfeit oil was then delivered to and sold in stores across Italy.

Damages and next steps

The companies whose trademarks were used without authorisation suffered losses totalling €282,289. The criminal case has been classified under the Criminal Law article covering illegal use and counterfeiting of trademarks and designs, an offence punishable by up to six years' imprisonment.

As part of the case, two real estate properties worth €157,500 and four vehicles worth €311,250 have been seized. Authorities have also launched proceedings to apply coercive measures against the legal entity involved. The Riga Northern Prosecutor's Office is expected to soon decide whether to press charges against the two suspects.