MORE than 58,000 fake football strips worth an estimated £5.5 million have been seized by trading standards officers in Edinburgh during the World Cup.
The majority of the items seized were Scotland and England shirts, while strips from countries such as France, Spain and Portugal were also discovered during the raid.
The seizure is estimated to be one of the largest of its kind in the UK.
The City of Edinburgh Council said the haul was discovered following a series of intelligence led operations with assistance from Police Scotland, alongside linked action by the National Trading Standards Intellectual Property team in Newport Trading Standards.
Investigations into the source and supply routes are continuing.
Councillor Neil Ross, regulatory convener at the city council, said: “Our trading standards team have secured a tremendous result in intercepting these shirts.
“With the World Cup well under way, this is a timely reminder that criminals exploit major sporting events by flooding the market with counterfeit goods to cash in on fan demand.
“Let me be clear, this is not a victimless crime. Counterfeiters undermine legitimate businesses, rip off supporters and sell products with no guarantee for how or where they were made, or whether they meet basic safety standards.
“The investigations into the supply routes involved in this discovery continue but we know that this is part of an international trade in counterfeit goods and represents a significant dent to their illegitimate trade.”
Authorities warned that unlike authentic shirts, counterfeits bypass safety regulations, could potentially expose buyers to harmful toxins in materials and dyes, and are often of poor quality.
The seized shirts, weighing in at more than nine tonnes, will now be securely recycled.
Christopher Bell, chairman of the Society of Chief Trading Standards Officers in Scotland, said it was a “great result”.
He added: “The scale of such a seizure shows the challenge faced by trading standards teams throughout the country.”
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) said the trade in counterfeit goods has an impact on the amount it can invest into the game at all levels.
An SFA spokesperson said: “Scotland’s return to the Fifa World Cup stage has, understandably, led to huge demand for official kit and merchandise in general.
“Unfortunately, major tournament involvement also brings about a rise in counterfeit goods.
“Aside from taking funds away from local community clubs, charities and key programmes around facilities like Pitching In, these items are typically poor quality and have often skipped rigorous safety tests.
“They can be highly flammable, made with harmful dyes and can be linked to funding organised crime networks and human exploitation.
“We would strongly encourage Scotland supporters to opt for official merchandise – to protect them and Scottish football.”
