Fake goods worth £300k seized at Leeds-Bradford Airport

Since the start of December, some of the counterfeit items discovered and detained by Border Force have included:

466 Prada T-shirts valued at £219,788

77 Louis Vuitton shawls valued at £33,110

48 pairs of Balenciaga shoes valued at £32,824

426 Samsung phone chargers valued at £12,780

1,000 Apple phone chargers valued at £10,000

360 Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Pens valued at £7,801.

Border Force North Director Liz Versi said: “Border Force officers at ports, airports, and mail hubs work hard every day to keep fake goods out of the country. Counterfeiters will look to capitalise and cash in where there is a demand for a product, particularly at this time of year, and in recent months my officers have seized all sorts of fake goods – from designer clothing to make up.

"We urge consumers to be careful with their purchases and ensure that counterfeit goods do not end up under their Christmas tree. The golden rule is always, if the price appears too good to be true, it probably is.”

Once counterfeit items are detained, Border Force’s specialist international trade teams work with the owners of big brands to establish whether goods are genuine. If they are fake the goods are destroyed, and the rights holders can then decide whether to privately prosecute the importers.

Border Force Assistant Director Mark Robinson said: “The international trade in counterfeits is linked to serious and organised crime and undercuts honest traders, damaging our economy.

“Consumers should be aware that counterfeiters have no interest in ensuring their products meet safety or quality standards, and what looks like a great gift may end up disappointing when it turns out to be an inferior, or even dangerous, copy.”

Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to smuggling should call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or go to https://www.gov.uk/report-smuggling.