Fake goods seized following joint operation
Over one tonne of counterfeit goods were seized from vehicles following a joint operation between Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service and Warwickshire Police.
Operation Incentive was launched in response to complaints from legitimate law abiding and tax paying businesses that they were losing thousands of pounds to criminal counterfeit gangs.
The operation utilised intelligence gathered on the activities of traders in counterfeit goods to intercept vehicles travelling to Warwickshire’s weekend markets.
Over 2000 individual items were seized; mostly fake clothing, with an estimated counterfeit value of £37,580 (the value, if items were genuine, £130,620).
Following the operation, one market trader selling legitimate goods commented that due to the absence of counterfeiters he had had one of the best days on the market for a long time.
An assessment will now be made of the evidence obtained with a view to pursuing further investigations into a number of the traders that were stopped.
Further work is anticipated in the near future to continue to target the sellers of counterfeit goods that operate on the markets of Warwickshire.
Mark Ryder, Head of Warwickshire County Council Trading Standards Service said: “I am delighted with the outcome of this operation which seeks to disrupt the activities of the criminal gangs who sell fake goods in Warwickshire, and protect genuine businesses.”
Police Constable Tim Thorpe added: "Warwickshire Police welcomed the opportunity to work in partnership with Warwickshire Trading Standards to disrupt the sale of counterfeit goods in the area and protect genuine retailers, both at the market and in surrounding towns, from the harm caused by this crime."
Warwickshire Trading Standards and Warwickshire Police will continue to work in partnership to take specifically targeted action against those traders who they identify are causing the most harm to the economy of Warwickshire.