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2017 Yearbook
2. Audio Contents of the ARD TV Feature of August 24, 2016 (in a shortened
version) - Terrorist Money Generated through Product Piracy and Sale of
Counterfeits
“A handbag showing the logo and trademarks of Louis Vuitton, a pair of trendy sneakers or a pair of sunglasses with the
Chanel logo, perhaps you also bought during your summer vacation the one or other inexpensive, yet fake product,
without knowing, where your money will finally end up…… and with this introduction a warmhearted welcome to this
edition of our magazine plusminus.
It is anything else but easy to detect what happens with your money and who is behind this illicit trade. Smuggling
offers lucrative profits from sneakers up to cigarettes and you may think, well, all in all, this is most likely not so bad. Our
plusminus team and our colleagues from the investigative journalist team of the Bavarian TV/ARD have spent several
months to investigate the revenue streams and found close links to the financing of terrorism in the course of such
work:
Barcelona in the evening nearby the port, street vendors are selling fake branded products to tourists.
“Look, these are my ‘original fake’ Ray-Ban sunglasses”; “ I always wanted to have a Louis Vuitton bag, and yes, then I
think to myself, better to buy a fake one than to have none.”
Is it tempting for you to buy these, when you are aware that all these are counterfeit products?
“If they are of good quality, yes, otherwise no”.
Something the tourists have no clue about: behind these sales exists a hidden and extremely dangerous network.
Terrorists also generate revenues from the sales of these street vendors. To ask questions in this direction is anything
else but appreciated. We did find
tarnished addresses of Jihadists and
will meet a smuggler with contacts
to a potential terrorist in Germany:
We are tracing the routes of the
counterfeit merchandise. At first
glance an area, where only petty
offenses are committed. If you look
however behind the curtain, you