"Millions of Jubilee pilgrims are threatened by fraud," says Guardia di Finanza.
The controllers found what they were looking for in three shops on Via della Conciliazione, popular pilgrimage mile between the Vatican and Castel Sant'Angelo.
The masterminds are suspected to be Chinese citizens.
In shops on the Roman periphery, other fake goods were found, including small Madonnas with holy water basins, postcards with Pope Francis, medals and crucifixes, all produced in China and deceptively provided with the Vatican's trademark for the Holy Year: the Pope's crown "Tiara" and the logo "Giubileo 2025 – Pellegrini dell'Esperanza " ("Jubiläum 2025 - Pilgrims of hope").
The cheap goods are partly offered for ten times their value.
The Vatican had lost revenues of more than half a million euros due to the confiscated counterfeits, according to the financial police.
Fines up to 40,000 euros
The suspect is accused of having imported counterfeit goods and placed them for sale on the market.
In addition, the products sometimes contain substances that are prohibited under EU law.
The accused have already fined between 5,000 and 40,000 euros.
According to the financial police, the financial police plans further checks with a view to the Holy Year.
On Via della Conciliazione alone, there are about 30 shops selling religious objects and souvenirs; most of them are run by Chinese.
According to the newspaper report, they control the entire supply chain of such objects, from exports from China.