UK police seize counterfeit football kits worth £18m during World Cup
More than 220,000 counterfeit football items were recovered in a nationwide police crackdown as officials warned the unregulated merchandise could be highly flammable and pose health risks.
Police in the UK seized counterfeit football shirts and kits worth more than £18 million during the FIFA World Cup amid warnings that the fake merchandise poses serious safety risks.
More than 220,000 pieces of counterfeit football merchandise were recovered by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) under Operation Bloxwich, a nationwide enforcement campaign targeting fake goods, reports BBC.
Authorities said demand for counterfeit football shirts surged during the tournament, but warned that the products are not subject to safety regulations and could be more dangerous than genuine merchandise.
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One of the raids resulted in the seizure of 1,618 fake football shirts from a warehouse in Birmingham, including replica kits bearing the names of players such as France's Kylian Mbappe and Norway's Erling Haaland, the report said.
Detective Sergeant Jamie Kirk of the City of London Police said the lower prices of counterfeit shirts often attract buyers but come with serious risks.
"I understand why people want to buy these shirts. People love football and the incentive is the lower price.
"But these shirts are not regulated and could be highly flammable. They have dyes in them which could be harmful to skin, particularly children's skin. While the cost is lower -- and that's the attractive part -- the potential damage to you and the people making them is just far too high," he added.
Tests carried out by the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service found that counterfeit shirts ignited and melted much more easily than genuine kits.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service watch manager Dave Jackson, who conducted the demonstration using blow torches, said the fake shirt "melted as soon as the burner went on it," while the genuine shirt required much more effort to ignite.
"It's extremely dangerous. It's something that can cause horrific injuries to your children. It's just not worth the savings," he added.
Kate Caffrey, head of intelligence at the UK Intellectual Property Office, said counterfeit football shirts are not subject to British or European safety standards.
"We've got evidence that counterfeit goods are made in appalling conditions, so you just don't know what's in them, how they're being made and there's no way of providing any safety reassurances," she told BBC.
She also warned that counterfeit goods are produced and distributed by criminal networks that exploit periods of high consumer demand, such as the World Cup and the Premier League season.
"The price of a fake shirt -- you don't know what you're funding with that money," she said.
The BBC report further mentioned that official Premier League replica shirts start at around £85, while counterfeit versions were found being sold online for as little as £12, making them an attractive option for some buyers despite the safety concerns.
