Why buying counterfeit goods this Christmas can prove deadly
Millions of pounds worth of fake goods were in the Midlands in the last year. But buying counterfeit products could prove deadly. Shaun Jepson reports:
They have become the must-have Christmas gift of 2012 and are regularly worn by celebrity footballers such as Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ashley Cole.
But it emerged today that scores of fake Dr. Dre Beats headphones – which retail at up to £300 a pair when genuine – have been recovered from the streets of Staffordshire and the Black Country in the run-up to Christmas for the cut-down price of £15.
Trading standards teams across the region are carrying out campaigns to rid the streets of fake items, with many stepping up their work as Christmas approaches.
Investigators say their probes have revealed how counterfeiting has been linked to serious and organised crimes such as people trafficking and cigarette and alcohol smuggling.
In tough financial times, opting for counterfeit products may seem like an attractive way of saving money.
But experts today warned of the potential "deadly dangers" of cutting corners and buying fake goods.
"People are at increasingly high risk of harm from fake goods, both physically through the sale of dangerous products and financially by paying for shoddy, substandard items, with no retailer's exchange policy or manufacturer's guarantee," said councillor Pat Corfield, Staffordshire County Council's cabinet member for communities.
"The fakers invest very little in their products and, through clever marketing and pricing, make a huge profit.
"The sale of counterfeit goods is sometimes overlooked as being a serious crime. This view is far from the truth. Those selling fake goods are often also involved in benefit fraud, identity theft, the illegal sale of pornography, and the trade in illegal cigarettes. There is also evidence to suggest links to criminal gangs and the use of children to front up market stalls in order to protect the counterfeiters."
It can be revealed today that trading standards officers in Staffordshire, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Sandwell have recovered in the region of £20m worth of goods from the streets throughout this year, with fake designer clothing, jewellery and electrical goods among the most common products.
The goods ranged from fake sportswear and jewellery to computer equipment, electric toothbrushes and mobile phones.
They have found fashionable Dr. Dre Beats headphones being sold by dodgy traders at a fraction of the price.
Lacoste, Timberland, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada and Ralph Lauren shoes and clothing have also been recovered by officers.
In Walsall, the Dr. Dre headphones were the most frequent product discovered by officers, who also found scores of fake DVDs during their investigations in 2012.
In Wolverhampton, fake clothing and DVDs and music have been seized, while in Sandwell, sportswear products such as Nike and adidas clothing have been found.
Officers across Staffordshire and the Black Country have also recovered fake Pandora and Tiffany jewellery, Ugg boots, hats and scarves, as well as bottles of Chanel perfume.
Earlier this month, trading standards officers in Staffordshire seized fake goods thought to be worth up to £15m.
The "unprecedented" seizure of hundreds of boxes of items ranging from upmarket headphones, DVDs and music CDs, to counterfeit branded clothing, is thought to be one of the biggest ever made on UK mainland.
It is believed the goods were destined for bootleg stalls at markets around the country in the run-up to Christmas. With the Dr. Dre Beats headphones becoming the most popular item to be copied, experts warned today that those buying the fake goods would not be getting the real deal.
Luke Wood, president of Beats by Dr. Dre, said: "You cannot fake Beats. Counterfeits will never be able to provide the premium sound quality and experience that the actual Beats line of products offers our consumers, and we are diligent in policing and protecting the integrity of our brand.
"We will not allow the misrepresentation of Beats to continue."
Across the UK, it is estimated that the British public spends £3bn on fake clothing a year.
The Intellectual Property Crime Group estimates that in 2009, the UK audio visual industry suffered a £535m loss in sales because of fake film and music sales.
