Counterfeiters Busted in Miami

Michael Moretti
Posted: December 19, 2005

Authorities charged eight people in Miami last week with cigar counterfeiting, marking the climax to a six-month collaborative sting effort between the Miami-Dade police, the state attorney's, the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal inspectors office dubbed Operation Smoke Ring.

Police seized more than $100,000 worth of counterfeit Cuban cigars and packaging paraphernalia from nine locations, including private homes and businesses.

According to investigators, inexpensive cigars were being labeled and repackaged to look like the more expensive Cuban trademarked premium brands Montecristo, H. Upmann, Trinidad and Romeo y Julieta.

The authentic brands are distributed by Cuba's Habanos S.A., which is 50 percent owned by Altadis S.A. The Spanish/French company's American subsidiary, Altadis U.S.A. Inc., which is based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, owns and distributes the non-Cuban versions of the aforementioned brands.

Altadis U.S.A. has worked with authorities on a continual basis for a number of years to combat counterfeiting.