Thousands of fake goods seized at Manchester Airport ahead of Christmas
There's almost £200,000 worth of counterfeit Christmas presents that have been seized by Border Force on this table
Last updated 8th Dec 2017
Gucci handbags, Hugo Boss perfume and Pandora Charm bracelets - they're some of the counterfeit items on criminals' Christmas lists that haven't made it onto our shelves, thanks to Border Force staff at Manchester Airport.
Officers have seized almost 200 thousand pounds' worth of fake goods that were smuggled into the country.
Staff are working around the clock - including Christmas Day - to stop these counterfeit presents ending up under our Christmas trees.
Our reporter Amy Scarisbrick has been invited along by Border Force staff to take a look at some of the items they've seized:
Here's some of the fake goods they've seized - could you spot if they were a fake?
Counterfeit items found at Manchester in recent weeks include:
• 228 Gucci items worth approximately £98,600
• 1,530 Pandora charms worth approximately £45,900
• 32 pairs of Jimmy Choo shoes worth approximately £11,200
• 100 Nintendo DS games worth approximately £4,000
• 48 pairs of Nike Vapormax trainers worth approximately £5,760
• 48 bottles of Hugo Boss perfume worth approximately £2,976
• Over 35,000 Pokemon cards worth approximately £1,83
Border Force staff at Manchester Airport are highly trained to spot the difference between a fake and the genuine article:
Paul Airlie, Deputy Director of Border Force North, said:
“Counterfeiters will seize any opportunity to line their own pockets and regard the festive period as an ideal time. As we have seen at Manchester, they will try to copy all kinds of items that people would see as the perfect gift, from designer clothing to children’s toys.
“Unfortunately for the counterfeiters, my officers are expertly trained and, although some of these goods superficially look like the real thing, Border Force officers will sort out the fakes from the genuine items.
“Counterfeiters have a total disregard for safety or quality, and the products they develop often end up being not only inferior, but also dangerous. My advice is that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Anyone who has been sold counterfeit goods or knows someone who is selling them should contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040