Montenegrin customs officials also took part in the Ermis action: They seized 70.000 products

Over 70.000 counterfeit products were seized as part of a large international customs operation of the European Union, codenamed "Ermis".

This was announced by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).

The customs action was carried out by the Greek Customs Administration, in cooperation with customs experts from OLAF member countries from Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey.

The results of the customs officers' work were presented at a meeting in Athens, held a few days ago.

The operation, as stated on the OLAF website, was aimed at postal and courier traffic in order to identify fake and counterfeit products, which are sent in small shipments.

During the operation, 70.000 counterfeit products were seized in 634 checks.

As announced by OLAF, it is about goods - mobile phones, sunglasses, spare parts for vehicles, medicines and pharmaceutical products.

Most of the counterfeit goods came from the countries of the Far East.

"Such falsified products can pose a risk for EU consumers, because they are produced outside of the health and safety standards provided by law," OLAF announced.

It is added that this type of trade undermines legal production.

The European Anti-Fraud Office announced that around 210 more product seizures were made.

Those goods were, however, returned because the producers and holders of production rights did not respond to the customs officials' call to identify the products and confirm that they are fakes.

The Office appealed to legal producers that for the success of similar operations, cooperation is needed, because only the rights holders can confirm that it is indeed a non-authentic product.