In April 2016, Brazilian Customs conducted an operation called “Blind 3”, aimed at addressing the illicit trade in glasses and sunglasses and targeting counterfeiting practices such as trademark and copyright infringements as well as smuggling of legitimate products and tax evasion.

The operation’s name refers to the irreversible eye damage that fake sunglasses may cause by not absorbing ultraviolet rays.

During the operation, Customs officers intercepted around one million items in a popular shopping area in downtown São Paulo. This is the largest seizure of glasses ever made in the city.

The goods were being sold in 35 small shops, in an area specialized in selling glasses. The majority of products seized were replicas of famous brands. In certain shops, Customs officers also found similar brand labels glued onto fake glasses.

In some cases the companies could not prove the glasses had been imported correctly with the mandatory documents, leading the officers to suspect that these goods had been smuggled into the country.

Samples of glasses will be sent to the brands’ representatives for confirmation of their authenticity. All fake items will be destroyed.