UK Customs seizes nearly £200m of counterfeit goods

At the end of 2023, British Customs seized nearly 1 million counterfeit goods worth more than 200 million pounds, including electronic products worth more than 170,000 pounds.

Starting from November 20, 2023, the British Border Force launched a joint operation against counterfeit electronic products, Operation Rivean, for a period of 3 weeks, aiming to prevent counterfeit electronic products from being shipped to the UK between Christmas and New Year.

The three-week operation saw Border Force seize 250 counterfeit Dyson care products, including a Dyson Supersonic hair dryer and Airwrap multi-styler, worth more than £98,000; and 120 counterfeit GHD hair tools worth more than £98,000. £31,980, and 640 unbranded hair straighteners; in addition, 8,880 counterfeit Oral B and Philips electric toothbrushes worth more than £42,000 were seized.

UKIPO, the UK Intellectual Property Office, stated that a total of 2,000 counterfeit electronic products were seized individually in 2023, and 1 million counterfeit products were cleared from the market, worth nearly 200 million pounds, including 500,000 pounds of counterfeit Apple products seized in a week Products such as Apple, Samsung and Sony's PlayStation.