The number of interceptions of fake goods being imported into the European Union increased in 2018 due to a large amount of small parcels in express and postal traffic, according to new figures released on Friday by the European Commission. Detention figures for seized consignments jumped from 57,433 in 2017 to 69,354 in 2018, though the total amount of articles detained decreased compared to previous years. Almost 27 million articles that infringed on intellectual property rights (IPR) were detained in 2018, with a street value of nearly EUR 740 million.