BRITAIN is losing the battle against organised criminals smuggling counterfeit goods into the country, according to a European Commission report which shows that seizures by customs officials more than tripled in the past two years.

The report’s authors say that the boom in counterfeiting is partly fuelled by the growth in internet shopping, which makes it easier to pass fakes off as originals, and partly because counterfeiting has become more profitable than drug smuggling.

The biggest growth areas are in toys and perfumes, as counterfeiters switch away from traditional mainstays such as brand-name clothes and watches. However, across Europe, counterfeit pharmaceuticals and even foods are rising sharply, prompting warnings about the threat to public health.

More than 1.54 million pirated items were seized by British customs officers in 2003, including nearly 150,000 fake Viagra tablets and 58,000 pirated toys. In 2001, only 466,000 items were discovered in total.

All the counterfeited goods come from Asia, with the main country of origin being Thailand, which produced more than half of all counterfeit clothes and accessories coming to Britain, including brands such as Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Nike and Gucci. The next main source is China, which seems to have a monopoly on fake toys, followed by Pakistan, which dominates in pirated CDs and DVDs. Most fake perfumes and cosmetics come from the United Arab Emirates.

Across the EU as a whole, the amount of counterfeit goods seized in 2003 rose by 9 per cent to 92 million, worth €1 billion (£687 million), with cigarettes being the single most common item. Counterfeit goods are estimated to total nearly 7 per cent of world trade, worth $400 billion (£215 billion), and range from car and aircraft spare parts through to mobile phones and computer ink cartridges, as well as clothes, music, films and drugs.

“The problem is serious and the danger is growing. Anything that can be sold is being counterfeited. It destroys jobs and threatens the health and safety of citizens,” László Kovács, the European Commissioner for Customs, said.

“The goods are almost perfect. The criminals have the technology, they have the skills and they have the money to invest. DVDs are popular because they are more profit-able than smuggling drugs.”

Britain has so far escaped the wave of counterfeit food and drink that is sweeping the rest of Europe, including not just whisky, vodka and soft drinks but also sweets, chewing gum and even apples. The apples not only have a fake brand label, but are often also grown by counterfeiters with few safety regulations from stolen seeds from official breeders who own the rights to that breed.

Plant growers have invested heavily in developing thorn-free roses, but now nearly half of all rose bunches sold are counterfeit.

SEIZED IN 2003

Cigarettes 33.2m
Compact discs (music, games, films) 32.6m
Toys and games 12.3m
Clothing 3.8m
Food and drink 1.5m
Perfumes 1m
Watches and jewellery 674,000
Electrical goods 523,000
Computer goods 79,500
Other 6.37m
Total 92.2m

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