West London raid finds £200k of fake Dior and Chanel items

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter

A west London shop has been raided by officers who found £200k in fake Dior, Chanel, Luis Vuitton and Burberry clothes.

The high-end fakes were selling for as much as £1,000 a piece, according to officials.

Trading Standards officers raided a shop in Kensington Church Street on Friday of last week, following a tip off.

A large chunk of the suspected sham products were found on the shop floor, with more items recovered from the shop’s basement.

According to Kensington and Chelsea council, the Met were called in when the shop’s owner tried to stop enforcement officers from accessing the basement.

They went on to find hundreds of counterfeit products, including Louis Vuitton handbags and jumpers, as well as Chanel coats on racks and in bags on the basement floor.

The council carried out a “test purchase” of the goods before the raid, which found them to be counterfeit. The council has now launched an investigation into the matter.

The council said that anyone convicted of selling counterfeit goods could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years, and an unlimited fine, as well as potentially having homes, possessions and other assets confiscated as proceeds of crime.

Councillor Josh Rendall, Lead Member for Local Economy & Employment, said: “Selling counterfeit goods is not a victimless crime.

“Shoppers are ripped off, confidence in legitimate brands undermined and we know that the supply and sale of fake items funds everything from organised crime to human trafficking.

“This seizure is a fantastic result from our Trading Standards team, and demonstrates our commitment to stamping out this criminal activity so that visitors to our borough’s many wonderful businesses can continue to shop with confidence.”

Pictured top: The raid uncovered £200k of fake designer goods (Picture: Kensington and Chelsea council)