Enforcers crack down on fake World Cup merchandise

US customs have intercepted a large shipment of counterfeit World Cup clothing in Puerto Rico, while Chinese police have arrested 10 people involved in the trade.

China's Ministry of Public Security said yesterday that the detained people were discovered with 150,000 fake shirts, including national team jerseys, that were valued at more than 30m yuan (almost $5m).

The operation zeroed in on a clothing factory in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a manufacturer in Fujian and wholesale markets in Guangdong, according to the statement.

Meanwhile, Officers with Customs and Border Protection (CBO) San Juan Field Operations division said today they have seized a consignment of counterfeit soccer team delegation uniforms en route from Hong Kong to an address in San Juan.

The boxes of football T-shirts and shorts - in the Brazilian, Italian and Argentinian national team colours - were intercepted at the San Juan Air Cargo facility and contravened intellectual property rights (IPR) held by Puma, Adidas and Nike.

"With a high demand for 2014 FIFA World Cup-related apparel, some dishonest vendors sought to capitalise on the event's popularity," said (CBP) in a statement.

In addition to counterfeit clothing - a World Customs Organisation (WCO) operation uncovered around 750,000 counterfeit items in the build up to the tournament - the World Cup has been plagued by counterfeit tickets, official match balls and even sick notes designed to let Chinese workers skive off to watch the matches.

Jefferson Bernardes / Shutterstock.com