A crackdown on potentially dangerous fake goods flooding the market in Fife has been hailed as a huge success.
Raids in Dunfermline, Kelty and Buckhaven in recent months took counterfeit products worth more than £260,000 from the streets, while the spotlight is also being shone on unscrupulous traders who use social media sites such as Facebay to peddle their wares.
In what has been described as the largest counterfeit investigations to date in the Kingdom, The Courier understands almost 180 black bags filled with products such as designer clothing, electrical items, jewellery, toiletries and tobacco were seized.
Scores of trademark holders have been alerted to the crime trend apparently developing in Fife.
After reaping such rewards, Fife Council has been warned against making cutbacks to the trading standards teams who have been working hard to safeguard the public.
In a report to Monday’s safer communities committee, Dawn Adamson, trading standards service manager, will call on members to endorse and support the ongoing commitment of her team to help protect consumers and legitimate businesses.
“With resources becoming more stretched in these times of high austerity, we ask that members recognise the value of tackling criminality in this area, as well as doorstep crime, rogue trading and others within the trading standards remit,” she stressed.
“If we fail to do so, the residents of Fife are much more likely to become victims of these crimes, rather than it being prevented by our direct interventions.”
Intelligence sharing between Fife’s trading standards service and Police Scotland led to the execution of three warrants in recent months, with premises dealing in illicit trade set up within already established business premises to sell counterfeit goods via the Facebay page on Facebook.
An estimated £200,000 worth of counterfeit goods was seized in the joint operation in Dunfermline in December, with around 120 black bags full of goods taken away for further examination.
One individual was detained and interviewed under caution and enquiries into the Dunfermline case are ongoing.
That was followed up by two separate warrants for different addresses in Buckhaven and Kelty last month, with seized goods said to be valued at around £60,000.
A total of 44 black bags were filled from the Kelty operation, while 19 were taken from the premises in Buckhaven, and enquiries are ongoing in those cases also.