Suspected perfume, Apple and Samsung dupes seized in car boot bust
Hundreds of suspected fake perfume bottles and scores of suspected illicit Apple and Samsung products have been uncovered by Trading Standards at a car boot sale in Wyre.
The haul was made by Lancashire County Council's Trading Standards officers, assisted by police officers based in the Wyre area at Norcross Car Boot sale on 27 May.
A total of 546 suspected counterfeit and potentially unsafe bottles of perfume were found at two stalls, being sold for £15 or £10 each. The stash could have raked in between £5460 and £8190 from unsuspecting customers who bought them in good faith.
Meanwhile, 50 suspected fake Apple and Samsung products were also discovered at one of the two stalls. The haul of suspected illicit high tech goods included possible counterfeits of three Samsung chargers, four Apple watches, 19 Apple AirPods, seven Apple AirPods Max products, eight Apple chargers and nine Apple headphones.
Counterfeit goods fail to achieve CE safety mark standards, and can be a fire risk, both when used and discarded.
County Councillor Joshua Roberts, cabinet member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities. said:
"People are often unaware that the money made from the sale of counterfeit goods funds organised crime groups and the trade in counterfeit goods can attract further criminal activity associated with organised crime groups.
"Not only does it fund organised crime but the trade affects legitimate businesses trying to make a living.
"We will not tolerate the trade of counterfeit goods in Lancashire and will take robust enforcement action to stop it."