France destroys one million fake goods

CHILLY-MAZARIN, France - French authorities destroyed more than one million counterfeit items Tuesday, including fake Hermes bags and designer perfumes, in events staged across the country.

Commerce Minister Nicole Bricq, attending one such event at Chilly-Mazarin, south-west of Paris, said it was "an economic crime that hits all sectors, destroys our jobs and threatens consumers."

Bricq said they led to huge losses for the economy, putting the figure at six billion euros ($ 7.9 billion) annually.

The items destroyed at Chilly-Mazarin and in major cities such as Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon and Rouen included fake design-wear bearing names like Dolce&Gabbana, Dior and Lacoste, counterfeit Rolex watches and shoes, telephones and toys.

The market for fake goods has burgeoned. In 1994, the customs service intercepted 200,000 items and the figure ballooned to 8.3 million in 2011.

French officials say nearly 70 percent of the products came from Asia and about a third of the orders were placed through the Internet.