Huge haul of fake Scotland and England football strips seized in raid
A large number of fake international football jerseys worth an estimated £5.5 million were seized during a trading standards raid in Edinburgh.
Around 58,000 jerseys, including Scotland and England jerseys, were planned to be on sale at the current World Cup finals.
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The seizure is estimated to be one of the largest ever in the UK.
City of Edinburgh Council Trading Standards Team said it was following up on a number of intelligence-led operations with the assistance of Police Scotland.
Counterfeit goods in Scotland on sale during World Cup [City of Edinburgh Council]
The council said investigations into sources and supply routes were ongoing.
Councilor Neil Ross described the raid as a “tremendous outcome”.
He said: “With the World Cup approaching, this is a timely reminder that criminals are exploiting major sporting events by flooding the market with fake products to make money on demand from fans.
“Let me be clear, this is not a victimless crime. Counterfeiters are undermining legitimate businesses, defrauding promoters and selling products with no guarantees about how and where they are made or whether they meet basic safety standards.”
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The Scottish Football Association said the trade in counterfeit goods was jeopardizing the ability to invest in the game at all levels.
A spokesman said: “Scotland’s return to the Fifa World Cup scene has understandably led to huge demand for official kits and merchandise generally.
“Unfortunately, major tournament participation also leads to an increase in counterfeit products.”
Replicas of Scotland’s away jersey were among those carried [City of Edinburgh Council]
They added: “As well as receiving funding from local community clubs, charities and essential programmes… these products are often low quality and have often bypassed rigorous safety testing.
“These can be highly flammable, made from harmful dyes and have been linked to the financing of organized crime networks and human exploitation.
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“We strongly encourage Scotland fans to choose official merchandise to protect themselves and Scottish football.”
