All the fake goods had been flown to the UK from Turkey as freight, with the designer brands discovered including Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Hugo Boss, La Martina and Fred Perry among the ranks.
Sarah Wolstenholme, the UK Border Agency’s assistant director at Stansted Airport, said: “Make no mistake: the manufacture and sale of counterfeit goods is not a victimless crime. The profit that smugglers make from these items is often recycled into other more serious forms of criminality.”
Wolstenholme added: “Counterfeit products are also sold on the black market, meaning the Treasury loses vital revenue which has an impact on all law-abiding taxpayers.”
The UK Border Agency official stated: “Many people enjoy finding a bargain, but counterfeit goods are just the tip of the criminal iceberg. Quite simply, if a price appears too good to be true, whether found on the Internet or at a car boot sale, it probably is.”
Month-long operation conducted
UK Border Agency officers operate 24 hours a day at ports, airports and mail sorting centres to prevent counterfeit goods from hitting the UK’s streets, where they can then be bought by unsuspecting members of the public.
The detections at Stansted Airport were made during a month-long operation in June. The rights holders have now confirmed the products are fakes.
“We often see smugglers adopting quite sophisticated techniques in an attempt to evade detection,” suggested Wolstenholme, “but in these three instances there was little subtlety involved.”
Apparently, the items were all listed simply as courier material, with no commercial value.
“The fact that such limited information had been provided immediately attracted suspicion,” explained Wolstenholme.
After suspected counterfeit goods are detained by the UK Border Agency, officers approach the rights holders to verify that the products are fakes. The company then decides whether or not to bring a private prosecution against the importer.
After this process is complete, the goods can then be destroyed.
Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling should call 0800 595 000 immediately
Four tonnes of cannabis seized in wake of UKBA operation
Approximately four tonnes of cannabis have been seized following a UK Border Agency operation in the English Channel.
Agency cutters HMC Valiant and HMC Searcher intercepted a Dutch-registered yacht in UK waters off the coast of Sussex in the early hours of Sunday 24 July.
The vessel was escorted into Newhaven habour and was searched by UK Border Agency officers. The drugs discovered on board have an estimated street value of around GB pound 12 million.
Four men have been charged with the importation of controlled drugs.
David Smith, the UK Border Agency’s regional deputy director, said: “The UK Border Agency’s fleet of cutters play a vital role in securing the border. They are on constant alert around the UK coastline to keep illegal drugs and other banned substances out of the UK. We are determined to prevent this terrible trade which can have such a destructive impact on the lives of so many.”
The UK Border Agency’s five fast patrol vessels, known as Cutters, patrol the UK’s 10,000 miles of coastline every day of the year to detect prohibited and restricted goods and prevent tax fraud by searching all types of vessels.
Each vessel can accommodate up to 16 persons and remain at sea for extended periods and in heavy weather conditions.
The crew members are all highly trained for the maritime enforcement role they undertake.