Fake vintage consoles and games worth almost €50 million seized in Italy
Police discovered nearly 12,000 counterfeit devices were being trafficked from China
Italian police have seized fake vintage consoles and games worth €47.5 million.
As BBC News reports, almost 12,000 consoles that stored more than 47 million counterfeit games were seized, including titles such as Super Mario Bros., Street Fighter, and Star Wars.
The head of economic crime unit for Turin's financial police Alessandro Langella said the fake retro consoles originated from China and were being "imported to be sold in specalised shops or online."
The devices were fitted with non-certified electrical components and were destroyed as they did not meet European safety standards.
Nine people have been arrested and charged with trading counterfeited goods and could face up to eight years behind bars.
Earlier this year, Square Enix revealed that nine people were charged in connection with distributing counterfeit merchandise in China, with products involving Final Fantasy and Nier: Automata characters.