Police in Rome seized thousands of pope John Paul II knock-off
watches and novelty devices on Wednesday in a crackdown on false
merchandising ahead of the late pontiff's beatification on May 1.
The
counterfeit papal souvenirs were found stashed in several warehouses on
the outskirts of Rome and were destined to hit market stalls around the
Vatican as the celebrations kicked off, Italy's financial police said
in a statement.
The 5.5 million items seized -- which included
fake Rolex, Omega and Cartier watches as well as pirate Mont Blanc pens
-- had a market value of around 15 million euros ($22 million), it said.
Three
Chinese nationals were questioned as part of the squeeze on forgers
hoping to take advantage of the 300,000 pilgrims expected for John Paul
II's beatification at the Vatican.
Source