City of London Police have raided a storage unit in Southall containing around £200m worth of counterfeit designer goods including fake Gucci purses and Tag Heuer watches.
Specialist officers from the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit seized the counterfeits from the storage unit on Bridge Road on 1 November 2022.
According to police, of the 84,000 fakes that were found, most were watches. Other items also seized included handbags, sunglasses and clothing
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Robinson, from City of London Police’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), said: “This activity should send a clear message that the trade of counterfeit goods will not be tolerated. We will continue to take enforcement action in the area with our partners, and work to identify the organised crime groups that sit behind this criminal activity.”
He added: “Our work will have seriously disrupted the trade of counterfeit watches in the lead up to Christmas, and it is vital for the public to remember that you don’t know what crimes you are funding when buying counterfeit goods, or the conditions that those who produce them are working in.”
One man was arrested and later released under investigation.