Police in Bristol seize fake football shirts ahead of World Cup

Simultaneous raids have taken place across the country

The World Cup is due to start this weekend, with England's first game on Monday against Iran
Author: Luke O'Reilly, PA / James DiamondPublished 18th Nov 2022

Police in Bristol have taken part in nationwide raids to seize hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of fake football shirts ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The City of London's Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), along with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), co-ordinated a series of raids across the country - arresting six people and seizing £12,000 in cash.

Officers seized four tonnes of the fake jerseys in raids in Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol, and Northampton.

Four premises were raided in Leeds, with officers seizing a large quantity of fake England shirts, Fifa World Cup badges and £2,000 in cash.

While in Sheffield, officers seized fakes from a storage facility and £10,000 in cash from a residential premises.

Together the Leeds and Sheffield merchandise was estimated by police to be valued at £250,000.

Similarly, raids were carried out in Bristol and Northampton, with a further £250,000 of counterfeit shirts seized.

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