Border Force operations have successfully intercepted thousands of counterfeit Olympic goods that criminal gangs have tried to smuggle into the UK in a bid to make an illegal profit from the London Games.
According to the Home Office, the biggest haul came at the Port of Felixstowe, where more than 7,000 fake Olympic gym bags were seized by Border Force officers.
Around the UK, Border Force officers have foiled plots to smuggle Olympic goods through ports and airports and seized:
- 540 Olympic-branded cigarette lighters at Felixstowe
- 432 Olympic-themed vests at Dover
- 15 fake Olympic Adidas football shirts and 90 fake Olympic Polo Ralph Lauren shirts in parcels at Coventry’s international postal hub
Speaking about these significant hauls, Home Office minister Damian Green said: “Counterfeiting is not a harmless crime but a criminal enterprise posing a serious economic threat estimated to be worth around GB pound 1.3 billion in the UK each year. In this Olympic summer our officers have used intelligence sources, scanner technology and search techniques to successfully thwart those seeking to illegally profit from the Games.”
Green also stated: “Border Force officers at ports and airports around the UK help monitor inbound freight to safeguard our communities from the illegal import of harmful items such as drugs, weapons and counterfeit goods.”.
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