£14m of fake goods seized by PSNI

Fake Northern Ireland football team scarves were seized

Counterfeit goods put at £14m have been seized by detectives over the past two years, the PSNI has revealed.

In the first three months of this year, officers have confiscated fake goods they say were worth more than £1.5m.

A recent operation in south Armagh netted fake DVDs, CDs, computer games and software put at over £500,000.

In a separate operation during the Northern Ireland v Sweden football match at Windsor Park, counterfeit NI team regalia was seized.

This included hats, scarves and tops.

During the south Armagh operation, manufacturing equipment which could be used to copy DVDs and CDs was also recovered, which targeted illegal traders and "organised criminal gangs".

Detective Superintendent Essie Adair, head of the police Organised Crime Bureau, praised the work of the PSNI's Intellectual Property Crime Unit (IPCU).

"This is proof that there is nowhere in Northern Ireland criminal gangs can operate without looking over their shoulder, just waiting for us to catch up with them.

"From Belfast to south Armagh to Londonderry or Ballymena, wherever these criminals are we will find them," DS Adair said.

"These fake goods make quick profits for criminals but end up causing damage to legitimate businesses and potential harm to customers who think they're getting a bargain."