Brief: Helsinki airport a hub for fake smartphones

Customs officers in Finland say Helsinki airport has become a major transit point for counterfeit electronic goods such as smartphones, according to Finnish broadcaster Yle.

The transport hub provides a quick route for Asian counterfeit producers shipping their knock-offs into the EU, say the officials, who intercepted a shipment of 2,500 fake smartphones en route from Hong Kong towards the end of last year.

The counterfeits are becoming so expertly manufactured that even the brand owners are finding it hard to distinguish them from the genuine product without close examination, says Yle.

Finland's Customs Board says the most-seized counterfeit product categories in recent years are toys, clothes and medicines.