June 1, 2025
Reading time • 5 min
Enforcement activities – PRF seizes R$15 million in irregular goods and counterfeit sneakers in Riachuelo
The Federal Highway Police (PRF) seized a cargo worth approximately R$15 million during an inspection carried out this Sunday morning (June 1, 2025), at around 9:30 a.m., on the BR-304 highway in Riachuelo, in the central region of Rio Grande do Norte. The cargo, transported in a vehicle that had left Fortaleza (CE) bound for São Paulo (SP), contained various products of foreign origin without tax regularization, as well as shoes with strong signs of counterfeiting well-known brands.
According to information from the PRF, among the items seized were gel launchers – popularly known as gel guns – as well as a large quantity of sneakers with counterfeit characteristics, indicating a possible violation of intellectual property legislation. The cargo also included other types of unspecified goods, all with inconsistent tax documentation.
The raid took place on a stretch of the BR-304 highway, during a routine operation aimed at combating tax and customs crimes. After finding the irregularities, both the vehicle and the products being transported were sent to the Federal Revenue Service headquarters in Natal, the state capital, for the appropriate legal procedures to be carried out.
The Federal Revenue Service will be responsible for the technical analysis of the items, with the aim of confirming the origin of the products, identifying the possible counterfeit brands and determining responsibilities in both the fiscal and criminal spheres. The documentation presented by the driver of the vehicle will also be subject to verification, since it showed inconsistencies in the records and invoices.
Gel guns, which have become popular in the country, especially among young people, have also come under increased scrutiny by the authorities. Although they are considered toy replicas, these devices have the potential to cause injury, depending on their power and use, which is why they are being increasingly monitored in interstate transport shipments.
The PRF pointed out that the transportation of irregularly imported goods, as well as counterfeit products, constitutes the crime of embezzlement and smuggling, as provided for in Brazilian law. These practices negatively impact the formal economy, harm tax collection and pose risks to the end consumer, since counterfeit products generally do not follow quality and safety standards.
In addition, the entry of products without paying taxes or without authorization from the competent bodies compromises competition between companies, favoring illegal trade and generating distortions in the market. The joint actions between the PRF and the Receita Federal seek to curb this type of activity, promoting legal certainty, fiscal justice and protection of consumer rights.
The operation in Riachuelo is part of a series of permanent actions by the PRF to intensify inspections on federal highways in Rio Grande do Norte, especially on the state’s main logistics corridors, such as the BR-304 highway, which links Natal to Mossoró and is one of the main cargo transportation routes in the Northeast.
According to the PRF, the driver of the vehicle involved in the incident has been identified and will have to answer for any criminal and tax offenses once the Internal Revenue Service has concluded its analysis. The corporation stressed that the fight against smuggling and counterfeiting will continue to be a priority in its operations, especially given the growth in illegal trade in counterfeit products on interstate routes.
