As the new Premier League season approaches kick off, the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police and partners are continuing to tackle counterfeiting and clamp down on offenders who are profiting from illegal activity.
A series of targeted operations across the country – a collaboration between PIPCU, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), Border Force, Trading Standards and industry partners – have resulted in a total of 67,573 fake football shirts and kits being seized since January 2025. These items, if genuine, would have had a total retail value of £5.1 million.
As part of this coordinated activity, officers from PIPCU have arrested five people on suspicion of selling counterfeit football shirts. A further two people have been arrested by West Yorkshire Police.
While buying a fake football shirt may seem like a bargain, purchasing a counterfeit can fund criminal activity such as money laundering, forced labour and drug operations.
The nature of conducting illegal activity means that the criminals involved in manufacturing counterfeit goods are unlikely to follow health and safety regulations, both in terms of the workers who make counterfeit goods and the products themselves.
This leaves consumers with products that may not last through many wears, and which are of significantly poorer quality than genuine items. These products often do not meet safety standards and can be flammable or contain harmful chemicals.
Detective Chief Inspector Emma Warbey, from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, 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.”
Officers from PIPCU arrested the five individuals for offences relating to the sale and distribution of counterfeit goods during operations in Bolton, Nottingham, Shrewsbury, Burton-on-Trent and Leek in June and July 2025. A total of 329 fake football kits and 184 pairs of fake football socks were seized from addresses in Shrewsbury, Burton-on-Trent and Leek.
The activity took place following intelligence received from the IPO concerning the sale of counterfeit football shirts.
All those arrested by PIPCU have since received conditional cautions, which order them to stop selling counterfeit goods and take down their online sales platforms.
The remainder of those arrested have been released under investigation, pending further enquiries.
The IPO’s Deputy Director of Intelligence and Law Enforcement, Kate Caffery said:
“As fans rally behind their teams for the new Premier League season, criminal organisations are exploiting their passion by flooding the market with fake merchandise. The manufacturing and distribution of counterfeit football kits is anything but a victimless crime – it channels money away from the game and directly into the pockets of serious crime.
“Counterfeit trading destroys tens of thousands of jobs annually and has a strong link to other serious criminal activities – from drug trafficking to human trafficking and modern slavery. By raising public awareness and helping supporters make informed choices, we can ensure that fans’ loyalty truly benefits the sport they cherish and help combat this threat to our communities.”
On 26 June, West Yorkshire Trading Standards and 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.
At East Midlands Airport, Border Force agents seized 2,793 items of counterfeit football-related apparel during the UEFA Women’s Euros.
Adam Chatfield, Assistant Border Force Director for Birmingham and East Midlands Airports said:
“Border Force officers play a crucial role in protecting UK consumers and legitimate businesses by intercepting counterfeit goods before they reach the market.
“Counterfeit goods are worse than just poor-quality products – they often fund serious organised crime and are manufactured without regard for safety standards or workers’ rights.
“By stopping these items at the border, we’re not only protecting consumers from potentially dangerous products but also disrupting the criminal networks that profit from this illegal trade.”
Two sportswear brands have seized nearly 7,000 counterfeit items – including fake football shirts, kits and jerseys – across the UK and Ireland since January.
In addition, Back Four Brand Protection has seized a total of 54,400 fake football shirts, kits and socks since January.
A representative from the Football Association of England said:
“Brand abuse and counterfeiting negatively impact the income the FA generates from merchandising, which directly funds football at every level. Counterfeit products should be avoided by fans as they’re often of poor quality, and fans deserve better.”
A representative from the Football Association of Wales said:
“The Football Association of Wales is committed to tackling the issue of counterfeit merchandise and protecting our fans from fake merchandise. Due to the success of the national team, and during participation in major tournaments, we see an increase in counterfeit merchandise. Counterfeit product is usually of poor quality, meaning our fans receive substandard product. We encourage all our passionate fans to purchase official merchandise, meaning monies can be reinvested in grassroots football and communities in Wales, and our associated charities.”
As well as tackling the sale of counterfeit goods, PIPCU and the IPO are asking fans to know how to spot the signs that a football shirt is counterfeit.
How to identify a counterfeit football shirt
Check the price. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Look out for signs of poor quality. Poor stitching, fabric quality and fit are often tell-tale signs of a counterfeit product. Look inside the shirt and examine the quality of the stitching, particularly around the neckline and badge.
Pay attention to detail. A counterfeit shirt may appear, for example, to have been made by Nike but have Adidas branding on the tag.
Check the swing tag. Ensure that the swing tag attached to the shirt has a unique product code sticker (a barcode sticker) and that the same code has not been pre-printed and stuck on each swing tag. The swing tag should also include wording that specifically correlates to the product. If the text is generic, the shirt is counterfeit.
Watch out for pen marks on the care labels. Check the care label inside the shirt for any numbers or marks that have been written using a pen. Counterfeit shirts often have pen marks on the care label as this is a method used by manufacturers to help count the number of items.
Buy from reputable sellers. Always purchase from a reputable retailer to ensure you receive an official product. It is easy for criminals to use photos from official retailers on counterfeit websites. Buying from these websites can leave you at risk of having your personal and card details compromised, so always ensure that the website URL starts with ‘http’ or ‘https’.
Verify you have an authentic shirt. You can use authenticity checkers, like Kit Legit, to confirm if your shirt is genuine.
Report counterfeit goods to Citizens Advice via https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ or on 0800 144 8848. You can also report anonymously to Crimestoppers via https://www.crimestoppers-uk.org/ or by calling 0800 555 111.
