Fake designer handbags, clothes and watches worth an estimated £5 million have been seized in raids on shops in north London.
The counterfeit goods were discovered at just two stores in Camden High Street on Tuesday, in a major crackdown by police and council officers.
From one shop, 2,487 counterfeit football shirts, jewellery and watches were seized - thought to be worth a loss to the industry of £3 million.
In the second shop, a further £2 million worth of counterfeit handbags were found.
Three people were arrested on suspicion of distributing articles infringing trademarks.
They have since been released on street bail, while the items seized will be recycled.
Cllr Richard Olszewski, Cabinet Member for Finance and Cost of Living at Camden Council, said the crackdown on counterfeit goods “isn’t about targeting the bargains or quirky buys you can pick up in Camden Town”.
“This is about disrupting a market of illegal, counterfeit goods: knock-off handbags, watches and fake designer clothes,” he said.
“Selling counterfeit goods is a crime. Some customers get conned, some get a poor-quality product and it’s not fair on the independent traders who play by the rules.
“We’re sending out a message through education and enforcement – Camden Trading Standards and its partners are working together to protect customers and discourage the sale of counterfeit goods in our borough.”
Detective Sergeant Andrew Masterson, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, said there has been a “sharp increase” in the sale of counterfeit goods in Camden in recent years.
“Selling counterfeit goods is illegal,” he said. “It can be tempting to buy a counterfeit designer product for a fraction of the cost of the real thing, but this can have a bigger impact than many people realise. Often, criminals use the profits from counterfeit goods to fuel other organised crime, which can have damaging effects on local communities.
“We hope that this operation sends a clear message that the sale of counterfeit goods will not tolerated.”
The raids on Tuesday were part of a joint operation by the City of London Police, Metropolitan Police, Camden Council’s Trading Standards, the Anti-Counterfeiting Group, and Lighthouse Security.
Marcus Evans, Deputy Director of Intelligence and Law Enforcement at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), said: “It is estimated that the sale of counterfeits contributes to more than 80,000 job losses in the UK each year by diverting funds away from legitimate traders and into the hands of criminals.”
Following the raids, the City of London’s mounted officers, and representatives from the IPO visited Camden High Street to warn people of the risks of buying and using counterfeit goods, and how to identify them.
They urged people to check the quality and labels of items before buying them, keeping an eye out for spelling mistakes or other distinguishing marks.
“If something seems too good to be true, it probably is,” said a City of London spokesperson. “Don’t be fooled into thinking you are getting a great deal.”
