£2,500 of counterfeit clothes and illegal vapes have been seized after officers from the Public Protection Partnership visited a car boot sale in Wokingham.

The car boat sale was held on Sunday, August 11, where stall holders were told that counterfeit items must not be sold.

Officers seized 480 items of clothing from a number of well-known brands, thus ignoring the organisers stipulations.

Counterfeit items often been connected with organised crime networks and drug trafficking, where profits are used as funding for criminal offences.

The distribution of fake clothing brands may also reduce the demand for genuine items and result in a number of job cuts.

Alongside the items of counterfeit clothes, officers discovered another trader at the same car boot sale selling illegal disposable vapes.

The vapes exceeded the liquid size permitted by the Tobacco and Related Product Regulations 2016 which permits only 2ml of nicotine containing liquid. This usually equates to around 600 puffs.

The regulations limit the tank capacity to ensure that electronic cigarettes and related products are used responsibly and that consumers are protected from excessive nicotine intake.

Some on sale were found to contain 18ml (7000 puffs and some contained 9000 puffs). These vapes were also seized from the store holder.

Councillor Jordan Montgomery the Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency said ‘it is important for shoppers and car boot organisers to remain vigilant. While fake products may seem harmless they are often sold on by organised criminal networks who also engage in human trafficking, drug smuggling and other serious crimes. These goods are often of inferior quality, but more importantly can be harmful to users themselves.

 

"We will continue to work with the public, brand holders and event organisers to ensure that we stop these illegal business practices. The sale of these items is not only damaging to the brand owners but also to legitimate local businesses who are trading fairly.”