Cheshire East Council’s trading standards officers have raided a house in Crewe and seized a large quantity of counterfeit car accessories and parts.
In a joint operation with Cheshire police, a 50-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994.
It is believed that the goods, including brands such as BMW, Audi, Land Rover, Mini and Jaguar, were being sold as genuine on the internet.
The arrested woman was bailed pending further enquiries and another person is due to be interviewed this week.
Councillor Les Gilbert, Cheshire East’s Cabinet member in charge of localism and enforcement, said: “People are unwittingly purchasing counterfeit items, which are far inferior to the genuine item and may be unsafe.
“Counterfeiters are not concerned with the safety of the goods they produce. They leave out expensive safety features and do not provide accurate instructions.
“Without the work of trading standards officers, the UK market would be flooded with counterfeit copies of everything that we use.
“We are an enforcing Council and will take all necessary action to protect the public and law-abiding businesses.”
It is estimated that the sale of counterfeit good costs the legitimate economy £11 billion per year, including lost jobs, lost taxes and the impact on businesses that are unable to compete with cheap fakes.
Counterfeiting is also linked with terrorism, the illicit drugs trade and illegal immigration. Profits from counterfeiting are used by organised crime groups to fund other criminal activity.
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