Fake designer clothes worth £2m seized
Fake designer clothes and shoes worth up to £2 million were seized by police and trading standards officers during a raid on an Oldbury industrial unit.
Two trucks were needed to take away the haul from the unit following the operation which was carried out as part of Sandwell's Safer 6 campaign.
Police first found fake clothing and shoes in a white van they stopped in West Bromwich, along with keys to the unit in Oldbury.
Police and council trading officers then searched the unit and made the discovery.
Brands including Nike, Adidas, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, Timberland, Superdry and Hackett were among the fakes found in the unit.
Three men were arrested following the raid which took place last Monday and have been bailed pending further inquiries.
Sandwell's neighbourhoods boss Councillor Ian Jones, said: "This is an excellent result during the first week of the Safer 6 campaign, with police and council trading standards officers working together in this way. This is a massive haul of fake clothes that we have managed to take out of the market and builds on previous years' successes around counterfeit goods."
Bob Charnley, trading standards manager, said: "This is a major haul and demonstrates the size of the illegal counterfeiting operations that exist and by implication the large amount of money that can be made."Superintendent Bas Javid, from Sandwell Police, added: "This is a great result from the start of the Safer 6 campaign – which is all about partners working together to achieve results."
