At least a dozen people were arrested by French police as part of the dismantling of an international crime ring which produced fake
Hermès bags while Two Hermès employees have been released as a result of the probe;
however the luxury goods company considers that present members of staff could
also be concerned.
Police discovered a workshop filled with precious leather
skins and estimated that one branch operated by the crime ring contained sales
worth around €18 million.
The bags were found to be manufactured in France and apparently disseminated through distribution channels in the US, Europe and Asia, with one branch of the ring’s sales estimated to be worth $22 million alone.
"This operation concludes a one-year investigation
following an Hermès complaint based on clues and abnormal behaviour identified
through the house's internal monitoring systems," Hermès said in a
statement.
Hermès chief executive officer Patrick Thomas recently
estimated that eighty per cent of objects sold on the internet under the Hermès
name are fakes, a statistic he branded "an absolute disgrace".
reference: WWD
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