On 23 November 2020, OLAF and the Italian Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) made public a successful blow against counterfeit mechanical components (370kg of bearings), which originated from China. Bearings are important machine elements ensuring that machineries, e.g. motor engines or electric fans, are moving properly. OLAF stressed that the seizure of the counterfeit components had not only prevented financial losses to the national and EU budget, but also secured the safety of citizens since counterfeit bearings entail considerable security risks. In addition, the seizure detected intellectual property infringements since the trademarks of well-known manufacturers had been falsified. OLAF supported the Italian authority by sharing intelligence.