170 Vietnamese immigrants detained in Moscow

18 Dec, 2007 14:55 / Updated 16 years ago

Police have detained more than 170 Vietnamese immigrants in a raid on an illegal clothing factory in Moscow. The immigrants were illegal and were said to be living in inhumane conditions.

Security forces also seized more than nine trucks of fake High Street goods. The scale of illegal manufacturing was immense. Those who have been detained face charges of violating trademark laws. So far this year, Special Forces have detained around 59,000 people engaging in illegal manufacturing activity. Of those, 11,000 are facing criminal charges. Overall, the damage to the government is estimated to be around $US 230 million.