Massive £200m fake goods haul seized in London

Officers from City of London Police's Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) in the UK seized counterfeit designer goods worth an estimated £200m ($229m) whilst executing a warrant in Southall, London.

Around 84,000 items – primarily counterfeit designer watches including one item that would have been worth £500,000 if genuine – were seized from a storage unit on Bridge Road along with fake sunglasses, handbags and clothing. Many of the watches were copies of Tag Heuer Aquaracer watches, which retail for around £3,000 at manufacturer's recommended selling prices.

Officers believe that the goods were intended to be distributed amongst various counterfeit retailers and sold to the public.

One man was arrested and later released under investigation.