A Gold Coast man is expected to appear before Southport Magistrates Court today (20 October, 2025), accused of selling counterfeit copies of Cartier and other high-end jewellery totalling more than $100,000.
In December, 2023, the Gold Coast Joint Organised Crime Task Force (JOCTF), comprising of AFP and Queensland Police members, executed a search warrant at a Burleigh Heads jewellery store where the man gave access to a safe that contained jewellery, gold bullion, and a sum of cash.
Police seized the jewellery after a search of the store, safe, and business records could not determine the origins of the jewellery and their legitimacy.
Investigations by the AFP determined that a number of counterfeit jewellery pieces were allegedly presented for sale as genuine Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels pieces.
The alleged counterfeit jewellery items were listed for sale in the store with a total sale value in excess of $100,000. An AFP valuation showed the true value of the jewellery to be about $28,000.
The man, now 40, has been charged with 22 counts of possessing or exposing for sale goods with false trademarks, contrary to s148(1) of the Trade Marks Act (Cth) 1995, which carries a maximum penalty of five year's imprisonment and/or a $181,500 fine.
AFP Detective Superintendent Adrian Telfer said attempts to sell counterfeit luxury items took advantage of customers who believed their purchase was genuine.
"Selling counterfeit items and products is a deception and fraud that preys upon the goodwill and the back pocket of the customers involved,' Det Supt Telfer said.
"The AFP has a zero-tolerance approach to anyone allegedly committing an offence that seeks to gain an unfair financial advantage via illegal means."
