Pandora has worked with Amazon to uncover and shut down a criminal network responsible for selling counterfeit Pandora jewellery in several European countries.

Led by Pandora’s intellectual property and brand protection team, the investigation began in 2020 following a series of customs seizures. Working with Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit, Pandora gathered substantial evidence connecting the counterfeit activity to two sellers running a large-scale operation out of China.

A subsequent raid by Chinese law enforcement led to the seizure of thousands of counterfeit Pandora jewellery items. The case was brought to court in Shanghai, where in March 2025, the operators were found guilty of selling counterfeit goods. They were sentenced to five years in prison and handed substantial fines.

Peter Ring, SVP general counsel for Pandora, said: “As the world’s largest jewellery brand, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of quality, craftsmanship, and attention to detail and are committed to protecting our brand from the threat of counterfeit products.

“This successful collaboration with Amazon shows how impactful joint efforts can be in stopping counterfeiting operations.

“By combining our global brand protection expertise with Amazon’s investigative capabilities, we supported local law enforcement in dismantling a sophisticated criminal network.

“This case marks an important step forward in our ongoing efforts to safeguard the integrity of our brand and the quality our customers expect and trust us to deliver.”

With the help AI-powered detection tools, Pandora supported in the removal of half a million webpages, social media accounts and other online content advertising fake products in 2024. The company also supported the seizure of approximately 100,000 counterfeit products globally.

Kebharu Smith, director of Amazon’s counterfeit crimes unit, added: “By partnering closely with brands like Pandora and law enforcement agencies worldwide, we’re stopping counterfeiters and holding them accountable in courts around the globe.

“Counterfeiting is one of the oldest crimes in history, and we’re tackling it with our cutting-edge proactive tools and technology. Our collaboration with Pandora successfully dismantled a ring of bad actors, removing counterfeits from the broader supply chain.

“While we’ve made significant progress over the past five years, our mission remains clear—we won’t rest until we drive counterfeits to zero.”

Courtesy: The Retail Bulletin