Fake World Cup kits among £650,000 of counterfeit goods seized in Hockley

Counterfeit and unsafe goods worth around £650,000, including fake World Cup football kits, have been seized in Hockley in a week of raids led by Birmingham City Council's Trading Standards team.

The coordinated operations targeted illegal wholesalers supplying goods across the region. Trading Standards were joined by the police, Immigration Enforcement and brand representatives from the Anti-Counterfeiting Group.

Fake kits and dangerous toys

In the larger raid, officers seized more than £150,000 worth of counterfeit World Cup shirts, including England, Spain, France, Portugal and Argentina kits, along with unsafe toys, perfumes and other goods worth about the same again. Thousands more toys and perfumes, with an estimated street value of £150,000 to £200,000, were held pending further investigation. One person was arrested by Immigration Enforcement on suspicion of immigration offences.

Days earlier, a separate raid on a mobile phone accessories wholesaler uncovered imitation Apple products and fake PlayStation controllers worth more than £200,000. One of the wholesalers had been visited and warned earlier in the month, but was found still selling illegal goods, including branded toys from franchises such as Disney and Marvel.

Why fakes are dangerous

Trading Standards warned that counterfeit toys often fail basic safety standards, while fake electrical goods and cosmetics can pose fire risks, contain toxic materials or cause skin irritation.

"This kind of illegal trade disproportionately puts our communities at risk, particularly families who may unknowingly buy unsafe toys or products," said Councillor Jane Baston, Cabinet Member for Equalities, Communities and Social Justice.

Operation Sunset, launched in February 2026, investigates organised crime groups importing and supplying unsafe and counterfeit goods in Birmingham. The council is urging people to buy merchandise only from trusted retailers. Investigations into both cases are continuing.