Ten people, including, among others, 7 former Hermès employees, have appeared in court as they have been accused of making and selling some fake Birkin bags. Contested events date back to 2013 and 2014. Prosecutors started investigations, which also concern Italy, after searching the apartment of a man suspected of selling, in Asia, some bags previously stolen from a lorry.
2 million euros
The trial began yesterday. Defendants are accused of producing 80 to 100 fake Birkin bags in 2013 and in 2014 (at least 10 sets, composed, each of them, of 8 to 10 models). Estimated annual profits amount to over 2 million euros. According to the prosecuting counsels, allegedly two “Hermès employees or former employees” are to be accountable for such counterfeit production.
One more defendant, according to investigators, was the one who actually handled the provision of crocodile leather from an Italian supplier. As reported by Capital, this individual died in 2014, but his brother-in-law supposedly confessed he “undertook to deliver those bags”.
Hermès former employees
Five more individuals, who were working at Hermès at that time, have been accused of physically manufacturing the fake bags. Some of them are also accused of stealthily taking away from their workplace some leather cuts, zippers, buckles and other original accessories/components in order to create copies most accurately resembling, as much as possible, the original bags.
Among defendants, two women, mother and daughter, are suspected of selling fake Birkin bags to a number of Chinese and Hong Kong tourists at prices ranging from 23,500 to 32,000 euros per bag. Defendants admitted the events that have become known during investigations. One of them, residing in Vietnam, did not appear before the Court: hence, the judge issued a warrant for his arrest. The trial is expectedly due to conclude next Friday.
Picture taken from capital.fr
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