European customs and anti-counterfeiting agencies are facing a new challenge. In addition to importing ever more fake luxury goods into the continent, counterfeiters are developing networks of local manufacturers, particularly in France and Italy.
The issue is so pressing that some experts fear the development of a "little Prato" – named after the Italian town near Florence where the Chinese mafia operates luxury goods factories and develops counterfeiting activities.
In the Seine-Saint-Denis department of the Paris region, and particularly in the Aubervilliers area, a phenomenon has been developing : counterfeit sellers are no longer content with simply importing their goods
