BELGIUM: BRUSSELS: COUNTERFEIT SMURFS SEIZED BY CUSTOM OFFICIALS

(19 Apr 1997) French/Nat

Smurf Wars have broken out in Belgium - the home of the cartoon blue gnomes - after customs officials seized thousands of counterfeits exported from China.

Now customs chiefs have pledged to destroy the lot.

Belgium may well be the home of the cartoon blue gnomes but none of these were made here. They are all fakes from China where they are produced at a fraction of the cost.

Customs officials intercepted the Smurfs in Antwerp as they were being unloaded in preparation for transport to France.

Altogether some 40-thousand were seized.

SOUNDBITE: (French)
"We have discovered four containers with approximately 40-thousand Smurfs. That represents a total weight of 40 tons. The problem is that the smurfs are counterfeits and break the copyright law. We have informed the Justice Department which captured the goods".
SUPER CAPTION: Customs officer Vincent Van Immerzeel

Customs officials say they will all be destroyed.

SOUNDBITE:
"The smurfs will be destroyed soon".
SUPER CAPTION: Customs officer Vincent Van Immerzeel

Next time Chinese exporters may well avoid the birthplace of the Smurfs when they transport fakes to Europe.

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