Police seize £2 million of counterfeit goods in Christmas crackdown

Christmas shoppers are being urged against buying bargain designer products as gifts, after police emptied two shops in north London of counterfeit stock.

Officers from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police executed three search warrants in and around Camden High Street.

Supported by the Metropolitan Police Service, they forced entry into a shop and storage unit during the early hours of 11 December 2024. A second shop was searched on the same day.

Counterfeit products, which are illegal to sell, were seized across all three premises. They were worth a total estimated loss to the industry of £2.75 million and included clothing, bags, trainers and watches.

Detective Sergeant Ben Hobbs, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, said:

“Christmas presents a lucrative opportunity for counterfeiters, with many of us looking for the best bargains ahead of the festive break. Some consumers get conned, some end up with a poor-quality product and the money that runs through the counterfeit goods trade funds organised crime.

“Businesses in Camden that actively engage in this illegal activity should know that it is not a matter of if, but when, we will enter their store to take away their counterfeit stock.”

The search warrants were supported by the Metropolitan Police Service’s Camden Town Centre Team, Surelock, TM Eye and Lighthouse Security.

The trade in counterfeits funds other criminal activity such as money laundering, human trafficking and drug operations. According to the United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, counterfeiting is the second largest source of criminal income worldwide, after illegal drugs.

The nature of conducting illegal activity means that counterfeit goods such as electronics and cosmetics don’t go through the same rigorous safety tests as genuine products, which puts consumers at risk. Laboratory tests of counterfeit cosmetics have found that they can contain harmful chemicals such as arsenic, mercury and lead.

PIPCU is asking consumers to know how to spot the signs that a product is counterfeit:

• Compare the product against the manufacturer's official website. Differences in the materials the item is made from and its dimensions are indicators that the product is fake.
• Check the product packaging to ensure that it’s of a good quality, doesn’t contain spelling errors and that the brand logo isn’t fuzzy.
• Compare the price of the product against the recommended retail price of the genuine item. If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.

When buying online:

• Check the website to ensure that the retailer has supplied its contact details and that it has a returns policy. Legitimate websites will also have a terms and conditions page, which outlines how a company uses the data you provide.
• Ensure the domain name doesn’t contain words such as ‘genuine’, ‘replica’, ‘discount’ and ‘offer’. The URL for a legitimate website will usually begin with the ‘https’ secure protocol.
• Be wary of retailers that ask for payments to be made via bank transfer. Most legitimate online retailers will accept payments via credit or debit cards and PayPal.
• Look up customer feedback on independent review platforms to ensure the retailer has a solid sales history.

Counterfeit goods can be reported to Citizens Advice via https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ or on 0800 144 8848. Consumers can also report anonymously to Crimestoppers via https://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/ or by calling 0800 555 111.