Fake Olympic goods seized in Britain

Torchbearer 036 Suzanne Otterson carries the Olympic Flame on the Torch Relay leg between Kirkoswald and Ayr, during day 21 of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay on June 8, 2012 in United Kingdom.The Olympic Flame is now on day 21 of a 70-day relay involving 8,000 torchbearers covering 8,000 miles.

London – Britain’s border force personnel have intercepted thousands of counterfeit Olympic goods that criminals tried to smuggle into the country to make illegal profits during the upcoming London event.

The biggest haul came at Felixstowe port where more than 7,000 fake Olympic gym bags were seized by the border force. Officers also seized 540 Olympic branded cigarette lighters, an official statement said Friday.

Other ports have also seen smuggling attempts of fake Olympic goods.

At Dover, as many as 432 Olympic-themed vests were seized last month.

At Coventry’s international postal hub, 15 fake Olympic Adidas football shirts and 90 fake Olympic Polo Ralph Lauren shirts were found in parcels. And at the Heathrow airport, 100 kg of fake Olympic ticket holders were detected in freight.

Home Office Minister Damian Green said counterfeiting was “not a harmless crime”.

“A criminal enterprise is posing a serious economic threat estimated to be worth around 1.3 billion pounds in Britain each year,” Green said.

Chris Townsend, commercial director of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), said all official merchandise bears the London 2012 hologram.