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More than £10,000 of fake designer goods have been seized from a market in north London.
Imitation diamond-encrusted watches and Gucci handbags were found at two stalls in Harrow.
Brent and Harrow council trading standards officers recovered a haul including nearly 70 counterfeit Versace and Dolce and Gabbana leather belts being offered at knock-down prices.
They also found scores of imitation handbags carrying brand names including Chloe, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton and Burberry, at two stalls in Harrow town centre market. In addition council officers seized more than 70 fake watches, including copies of diamond-studded Rolexes and Breitling models.
Three men aged 28, 38 and 55 are being questioned on suspicion of fraud. A Harrow council spokesman said: "The quality of these copies ranged from bad to just about okay. A lot of this stuff is currently coming from Thailand and container lorries are coming into London every week with it."
It is believed the entire consignment would have cost the market traders about £500 to buy.
Susan Hall, Harrow's portfolio holder for the environment, said: "Buying these goods supports a criminal industry."
Reader views (6)
Darn it! I really want a LV bag and I cannot afford or would be willing to spend 400 quid on a bag..I wish I had known this the day before the raid, I would have been busy stocking up!
- Cj, London
If it's arriving in containers, why aren't the customs staff at Felixstowe and Tilbury not running more spot checks?
Or is there a reason why they are letting this stuff flood the market. It's as appalling as how drugs get into prisons.
- Tom Watson, London
£500 to buy the goods but they are worth £10,000. Dare I say it, I saw a fake Burberry watch for sale with 2 spare batteries for £1. Thats cheaper than a toy. Before these fraudsters are prosecuted , the real firms should be made to produce invoices showing what they actually pay for their goods, a lot of which are made in the Third World anyway.
- Jack Spratt, Richmond, Surrey
How can you say it's £10,000 worth when it's fake and therefore pretty much worthless?
- Sarah, London
How very effective of our customs to allow these van loads of goods EVERY WEEK through from Thailand. I'm reasonably sure it isn't be just fake handbags those people took all that time and effort to smuggle here.
- Deano, London
Dodgy and Garbaga
Jammy Chew
Lewis Futton
Barbery
- Adam, Harrow, UK
