"Everything comes from China": this is how Badalona has become an epicenter of counterfeiting

BadalonaWhen asked if the sweater is genuine, the employee responds with a resounding yes. "It's very good, very warm," he explains. Questioned about the fact that 15 euros is a very low price for a Norway brand sweater—the one with the Norwegian flag logo—the clerk replies that it's not exactly the Norway brand from Norway, but rather another brand from Italy—a European country considered one of the epicenters of clothing counterfeiting, with the city of Prato as a prime example. When asked if payment could be made by card, the employee asks if cash would be accepted. Once paid, the exit of the store leads you to the entrance of another business, also selling clothing. In fact, it would resemble a shopping center if we weren't in the middle of an industrial park in the Sant Roc neighborhood of Badalona. Amidst the constant flow of trucks, rows of massive wholesale clothing stores are visible, about twenty in just over 300 meters.

It's Friday at nine in the morning and only one customer has entered one of the many shops. Outside, clothes are strewn across the sidewalks. And right in the middle of all the businesses is a self-storage unit: this Christmas, The Civil Guard seized 200,000 counterfeit toys which were dangerous, since they lacked even the most basic safety measures. A 90-square-meter storage unit costs 1,900 euros per month. The Civil Guard has already identified this area of ​​Badalona as one of the epicenters of the counterfeit goods trade in Spain. Civil Guard Captain Luis Humberto Quiroga Vázquez, head of the 1st Fiscal and Border Company of the Port of Barcelona, ​​explains that increased police pressure in Barcelona, ​​especially to combat street vendors, has driven wholesalers of counterfeit goods to Badalona.

Last year in Spain, more than six million counterfeit products were seized, according to data from the Civil Guard. In 2021, the value of the global counterfeit goods trade was estimated at approximately $467 billion. It represents 2.3% of total global imports, according to the latest 2025 report from the European Union Intellectual Property Office. And where do these products come from? 62% of counterfeit goods seized in the global market come directly from China or arrive via Hong Kong, according to the same European report. "China is the world's factory," comments Captain Quiroga. For the good stuff, but also for the fakes.

Business Operations

The Civil Guard commander strongly emphasizes that counterfeiting rings operate exactly like businesses. "If you want to import a product for your company, you'll go to the place where it's manufactured, right?" he asks. The answer lies in China, where there are "A" factories and "B" factories. Sometimes, however, there's no need to go looking for the fraudulent factories. Many brands manufacture clothing—a T-shirt, for example—in China and then do the finishing touches in the country where it will be sold—that's where they'll add the logo and label to the T-shirt, for instance. The counterfeiting rings, therefore, only buy the basic T-shirts and later add a fake logo. The captain explains that in Badalona, ​​they found 1,200 Stone Island logos in a warehouse. A sweater from this brand costs around 350 euros. "Only the logo is worth anything, not the garment itself," the Civil Guard commander states.

There are many methods for counterfeiting, but the bottom line is that it almost always involves going through China. This makes the Chinese mafia a key player in the counterfeit goods business. "You have to contact local people to get into the business," warns Captain Quiroga. He adds that he knows China is cracking down and starting to shut down illegal factories.

Wholesale

The Norway sweater bought in Badalona has several labels, simpler than the originals. It says: "Made in PCR." That is: "Made in the People's Republic of China." All the clothing stores lining Maresme Avenue in Mataró are run by people of Chinese origin. The vast majority don't sell designer brands, only basic clothing. "They don't usually display the counterfeit clothing openly," Quiroga warns. Many sell wholesale clothing, a perfectly legal business. "Minimum sale 100 euros"; "20 pieces minimum," the signs say.

In fact, the vast majority of these stores have all their paperwork and warehouses in order. Quiroga explains that counterfeit clothing is usually stored in storage units or apartments, places frequented by street vendors and other potential sellers. The criminal organization, as in the legal market, acts as a wholesaler. These apartments and storage units are usually registered in the names of front men, making it difficult to link them to the groups behind them. These groups are typically organized by nationality. In the Christmas toy smuggling operation, for example, there was one French and one Chinese toy. The Civil Guard captain admits that Sant Roc's urban layout further complicates police work. "It's difficult to determine who owns an apartment or how a property is divided. Furthermore, it's a neighborhood that specializes in other types of crime, and they have lookouts who warn the police if something's coming," he says.

Police have encountered apartments that had been converted into warehouses, with counterfeit goods in every room and someone guarding them. In one particular case, they were making around 50,000 shipments a year; more than 130 a day. "Like Amazon," the captain jokes. And they had everything: clothes, perfumes, creams... They had even knocked down interior walls to create more space.

The maritime route

Another question is how these products arrive in Catalonia. The most common answer is that they come by sea, in shipping containers that the Civil Guard admits it cannot control. "Almost everything comes from China. Doing a risk analysis based on origin and route wouldn't make sense; it would be impossible," he acknowledges. Therefore, the key often ends up being collaboration with the affected companies. That is, the brands alert the police to the locations where counterfeiting is taking place. Some locations have also been identified by following retailers to the wholesaler's location. They also check the backgrounds of the companies involved in these transactions. However, occasionally a shipment is seized at the port. "Look, do you see that blue truck?" the captain remarks, pointing out the window. "It's loaded with counterfeit goods," he concludes. He adds that they, being inside the port, have plenty of space to store seized products, but most police stations are overwhelmed.

However, the captain admits that the solution would be "not to buy counterfeit goods." Clothing seems harmless, but he focuses on creams and perfumes, products we put on our skin without knowing how many checks they've undergone. "Or toys," he warns.