British customs authorities have seized counterfeit items worth almost £3 million (£3.9 million) that had been shipped into the UK from China.
In an operation intended to crack down on fake goods ahead of Christmas, officers from UK Border Force confiscated thousands of bogus items including counterfeit designer label scarves, sportswear and electrical equipment.
At London Gateway Port alone, customs workers seized over 1,300 counterfeit Chanel, Burberry and Gucci scarves, which would have been worth £904,775 had they been genuine.
Elsewhere, customs staff at Milton Keynes Inland Pre-Clearance Centre intercepted some 850 bogus Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Nike, Champion and Converse bags and trainers with an estimated value of more than £842,000.
Commenting on the seizures, Security Minister Brandon Lewis said: “This government is committed to cracking down on criminals and the trade in counterfeit goods.
“People who deliberately purchase counterfeit goods are funding and supporting serious and organised criminals and their illegal activity.
“These seizures show how effective Border Force officers are in cracking down on criminality across our ports, airports and mail hubs to keep fake, counterfeit goods out of the country. Their critical work protects legitimate business and ensures that smugglers do not profit.”
In a statement, the UK Home office said Border Force’s specialist international trade teams work in close cooperation with intellectual property rights owners to establish whether seized goods are in fact counterfeit.
If goods are found to be fake, they are destroyed by customs officers before rights holders decide whether or not to prosecute importers.
