Warning to Christmas shoppers after £1m London raid

Christmas shoppers are being urged against buying bargain designer products as gifts, after police seized an estimated £1m ($1.25m) in fake goods during raids on Camden High Street in north London, UK.

Around 4,000 counterfeit items were seized from four shops yesterday by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police.

In one shop, officers found knock-off football shirts worth an estimated loss to the industry of £69,800. Counterfeit designer bracelets, thought to be worth around £400,000, and £19,240 worth of fake trainers were found in another shop.

“Selling counterfeit goods is illegal, and we ask the public to think twice before buying bargain products as gifts in the run up to Christmas,” commented Detective Inspector Andrew Masterson.

“While the cheaper price of these goods can be appealing, the reality is that counterfeiting can be a gateway to fund other organised crime.”