Police have seized £2.5 million worth of suspected counterfeit clothes and electronic devices after they opened up 22 shipping containers.
Following information received by Trading Standards of counterfeit goods being stored at an address in Enterprise Way in Southall, warrants were executed yesterday morning (15th April).
Officers are still in the process of opening and excavating 22 20ft shipping containers believed to be housing tonnes of counterfeit designer clothes and branded electronics. The Met’s Territorial Support Group has used angle grinders to gain access.
Officers have seized goods including faux designer belts, bags, ear pods and mobile phones, and are continuing to extract and investigate the contents of the shipping containers for examination.
The goods seized are currently valued at £2.5 million.
An investigation is underway in which the Metropolitan Police are working closely with the Anti Counterfeit Group and Trading Standards to find out the origin of the goods, including those responsible. No arrests have been made to date.
Sergeant Guy Rooney, from Southall’s Safer Neighbourhoods Team, said: “The sheer amount of imitation designer clothes and electronic goods seized this morning is astonishing. We know that criminality at this level is often linked to other crimes in the capital, including but not limited to, modern slavery and money laundering.
“Partnership working and intelligence sharing with Trading Standards and [the Anti Counterfeit Group] has enabled the [Metropolitan Police] to lend assets from the service which have ultimately led to this morning’s impressive haul of knock-off items, and will no doubt put a serious dent in these rogue traders’ enterprise.”
