Nine individuals have been apprehended in Italy in connection with a trafficking ring involved in the dealing of fake retro video game consoles. This operation resulted in the seizure of over $50 million worth of counterfeit goods. The Italy’s Guardia di Finanza, a militarized police force dealing with economic and financial crimes, announced on Friday that it had arrested these Italian nationals and confiscated their collection of fake video game items.

Dubbed “Coin-Up 80,” the investigation was led by the Guardia di Finanza’s Turin unit but spanned multiple provinces across Italy and began in late 2023. The Guardia di Finanza stated in a news release that it seized approximately 12,000 video game consoles on which a total of over 47 million pirated video games were loaded, with an estimated value of more than €47.5 million ($52.8 million). The specific details of the counterfeits were not elaborated in the release, but photos published of the massive haul show a plethora of fake Nintendo consoles, assorted handheld devices, and what seem to be counterfeit fight sticks. Polygon has reached out to the Guardia di Finanza for more information and will update this story upon receiving a response.

The consoles were said to originate from China, and the distribution from Italian companies involved in the trafficking ring was also uncovered. Additionally, these consoles were sold in physical stores. Not only were the devices fake, but they also failed to comply with Europe’s consumer safety standards. All of them were destroyed by the authorities in accordance with Italian law, as stated in the news release.

According to the BBC, the nine Italian counterfeiters could face up to eight years in prison if found guilty.

It is mentioned that Italy was once known as a “global hotspot for video game piracy.” Vice reports that during a certain period from the mid-1980s to the turn of the millennium, video games in Italy were not protected in the same way as other forms of entertainment. This meant that “properly registered companies with real employees and financial statements” were openly engaged in piracy. Game makers tried to combat piracy in Italy, but for the most part, they were completely unsuccessful. When Italian copyright law was revised in 2000, video games were granted similar protections as movies and music.

Clearly, the situation regarding counterfeits and piracy in Italy has changed significantly due to this extensive police operation. However, the problem is not unique to the country. Forgeries are a global issue for both video games and tabletop games.