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Fake football shirts worth 5.1m seized as sellers nicked over 67,000 dodgy kits

Seven people have been arrested after a haul of more than 67,000 fake football shirts, worth an estimated 5.1million, were seized by police

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Seven people were arrested after a haul of more than 67,000 fake footy kits - worth an estimated 5.1million - were seized by police.

A series of targeted operations across the country resulted in a total of 67,573 dupes being seized since January 2025. If genuine, the seized merch would have been worth a massive 5.1 million, according to City of London Police.

The pre-season crackdown is part of a collaboration between the force's Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), Border Force, Trading Standards and industry partners.

City of London Police also warned customers to avoid counterfeit products as they are "poorer quality" and may fund other illegal activities. On how to spot phoney merch, they say to check the price, quality, details, swing tags, and reputation of the seller - as well as checking for pen marks.

Officers from PIPCU arrested five people for the sale of counterfeit goods in Bolton, Nottingham, Shrewsbury, Burton-on-Trent and Leek in June and July 2025.

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All those arrested have since received conditional cautions, which order them to stop selling counterfeit goods and take down their online sales platforms, police said.

Det Chf Insp Emma Warbey, from the PIPCU, said: "Criminals are continuing to bring counterfeit products to the market as the new football season approaches.

"Some consumers believe they're buying genuine merchandise; some end up with a poor-quality product, and counterfeiting is thought to be the second largest source of criminal income worldwide, second only to illegal drugs.

"An issue of this scale demands a coordinated response, and we'll continue to work with our law enforcement, government and industry partners to crack down on this illegal trade and those who drive it."

On 26 June, West Yorkshire Trading Standards and the IPO seized around 2,300 fake football shirts during two search warrants in Leeds and Bradford.

During the warrants, officers from West Yorkshire Police arrested two men, aged 37 and 44, on suspicion of selling counterfeit goods and money laundering offences. They have since been released under investigation.

A further 2,793 items were seized by Border Force agents at East Midlands Airport during the UEFA Women's Euros.

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