Seminar combating piracy and evasion took place this Thursday (30/06), at the Federal Police Superintendence in São Paulo

The event, organized by the Ministry of Justice and the City of São Paulo, brought together authorities from the Ministry of Justice, Secretaries of Public Security, Urban Security, Public Ministry, Civil Police, Military Police, Metropolitan Civil Guard, Subprefectures, National Forum to Combat Piracy, Brand Protection Entities (BPG), National Forum against Piracy (FNCP) and Brazilian Institute of Ethics in Competition (ETCO), among others.

The board was composed by Dr. Ana Lúcia Soares Executive Secretary of the National Council for Combating Piracy (CNCP) of the Ministry of Justice; Edsom Ortega, Municipal Secretary for Urban Security and Executive Secretary of GGI-M; delegate Inacy Grelhana, from the Federal Police; Dr. Ândrea Cristina Pimentel, representing the Secretary for Public Security; Ambassador Roberto Abdenur, president of ETCO; Edson Vismona, president of the National Forum to Combat Piracy.

During the opening of the event, Secretary Edsom Ortega gave an account of the 16 integrated operations to combat piracy, which began in the city of São Paulo in December last year and of the six that are underway in the Pamplona, ​​Monti Mare, Mundo Oriental shopping centers , March 25, Senador Queirós and Feira da Madrugada. “These establishments are undergoing rigorous inspection in all their stores and documentation, and operating licenses may be revoked and activities closed. On the other hand, establishments that do not have licenses may be definitively prevented from re-operating, if it is proven that smuggled, pirated and doubtful products are commercialized. They will work again if they demonstrate concrete measures to prevent such crimes ”, said the Secretary. This decision by the Security Office is part of the expansion of the rigor in combating these crimes and the penal framework of those responsible for such practices.

The Secretary highlighted serious aspects during the operations: intimidation, threats and attempted solicitation in relation to the agents. "Do not accept intimidation, we are acting based on the law". He also mentioned the balance of seizures, which from December 2010 until now is 25 million items, in the estimated amount of R $ 1,2 billion. The goods are stored in City Hall, Police and Federal Revenue warehouses and inquiries and investigations are being processed by the Civil Police, the Federal Revenue Service and other bodies as required.

Dr. Ana Lucia explained about other crimes that existed behind the trade in counterfeit products, such as the exploitation of slave labor, in addition to human trafficking. She also stressed the importance of integrated actions and praised everyone's work for the successful fight against piracy and smuggling.

The president of the National Forum to Combat Piracy, Edson Vismona, pointed out that the amount of products seized during operations to combat piracy is surprising and that the work of GCM and other partners is heroic. He highlighted the commercial interest behind the sale of illegal products and the drop in the collection of Municipal, State and Federal Public Authorities.

For Prosecutor Dr. Eliana Vendramim, from the State Prosecutor's Office - GAECO: Special Action Group to Combat Organized Crime, meetings like this are important to gather organizations against the crime of smuggling, embezzlement, among other things. “A crime that, in addition to causing harm to the country, with tax evasion, trafficking in human beings, as we found in shopping malls on March 25 - where several Chinese were trafficked to work as slaves, without any rights. The other problem is the cultural one. The culture of a people that buys products and has no idea, that is fueling organized crime ”. The prosecutor also congratulated the work of the Metropolitan Civil Guard on the task force.

At the Seminar, several experts and authorities explained and trained the more than 350 agents from GCM, the Subprefectures and the police present to identify counterfeits, software, brand watches, eyeglasses, cell phones, toys, sporting goods and bags. Luis Claudio Gare of BPG- Brand Protection Group, explained to those present, how to identify what is original and what is not and Flavio Augusto Nunes de Meirelles, from the Meirelles Institute for Intellectual Property Protection, an Association that brings together companies that manufacture and import eyeglasses celebrities revealed data from two surveys carried out by the entity with a vision specialist. According to him, 80% of the brands of sunglasses, sold in popular centers, therefore pirates, cause damage to the eyes, such as burning the pupil. Another study revealed that of the people who wear pirated glasses purchased with pre-established degrees, 70% had vision problems and warned: “anyone who wears glasses without consulting a specialist, in 10 years will have a cataract problem”.

At the end, those present received manuals with guidelines to identify non-original products and their various counterfeits. Everyone will be certified.