EU customs officers intercept counterfeit items worth €1.3bln in 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net - The European Union says its customs officers intercepted 115 million counterfeit items worth €1.3 billion ($1.57 billion) in 2011, including many that could be dangerous to people's health.

According to AP, the EU says 73 percent of the fake products came from China.

The top category of seized goods was counterfeit medicine, which accounted for 24 percent of the total, the EU says. Other fake goods included cigarettes, packing material, alcohol, soft drinks and mobile phones.

EU Customer Commissioner Algirdas Semeta said in a statement Tuesday, July 24, that "customs is the EU's first line of defense against fake products which threaten the safety of our citizen and undermine legal businesses."

The number of intercepted goods was 15 percent higher than the previous year.