- Six people have been arrested following a police operation targeting TikTok shop influencers involved in selling counterfeit goods.
- Officers from the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) raided a Rotherham warehouse, discovering a suspect actively livestreaming the sale of illicit items.
- The operation resulted in the seizure of 26,849 counterfeit items, valued at over £1.1 million, alongside an additional £1 million worth of suspected stolen clothing and trainers.
- Police revealed that TikTok shop accounts frequently use influencers to promote fake merchandise through livestreams from warehouse settings, creating a false impression of genuine products for quick sales.
- The arrests were made on suspicion of distributing goods bearing false trademarks, with PIPCU warning that selling counterfeit items online is illegal and will lead to action.
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