Russia busts fake Chanel shoe factory

Russian authorities have uncovered a counterfeit Chanel factory where 100s of Chinese citizens manufactured fake shoes.

A raid on the factory near Yekaterinburg in central Russia found 3,600 pairs of counterfeit Chanel shoes. The fakes were seemingly made by more than 100 Chinese citizens who lived in on-site barracks and were under continual surveillance, hetq reports.

Working conditions at the site were poor, with media reports noting the heavy smell of chemicals and waste dumped in a nearby river. The factory was reportedly operated by an Armenian crime gang, although the media reports make no mention of any arrests.

In recent months Russia has shown a willingness to tackle its counterfeiting problem. Fakes are reported to account for one-third of all consumer items in Russia. In January the Russian prime minister called for the country to stem the flow of fakes through tighter enforcement of copyright laws.