0:00:02 > 0:00:07Welcome to a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
0:00:07 > 0:00:09Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:25 > 0:00:27In this series,
0:00:27 > 0:00:29I'm going to be investigating the world of the criminals
0:00:29 > 0:00:31who make their money at your expense.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35And I'm going to show YOU how not to get ripped off.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36Coming up...
0:00:36 > 0:00:40we test the fake electrical equipment that could kill.
0:00:42 > 0:00:47We have exclusive footage of an underground fake-cigarette factory
0:00:47 > 0:00:50in China and we discover just how ruthless the gangs
0:00:50 > 0:00:53smuggling these cigarettes to the UK really are.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56In order to escape the authorities, the Triads simply opened the container
0:00:56 > 0:00:58and threw the women into the sea.
0:00:58 > 0:01:03We hear about the fake HIV tests putting lives at risk.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07We've seized several thousand of these products
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and we believe thousands more have already come through.
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And a first on Fake Britain, some good news.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17We meet the British technology company that has invented a new way
0:01:17 > 0:01:19to fight the fakers.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21The device tells us that this is actually the fake carton.
0:01:29 > 0:01:33It's an astonishing fact that we Brits buy 1.8 million phone chargers
0:01:33 > 0:01:36every year online alone.
0:01:36 > 0:01:41Fakes like these can be manufactured for as little as three pence each in China.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45But they don't meet UK safety regulations and can be lethal.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Good morning, everyone.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53Mohammed Tariq and his team from Birmingham Trading Standards
0:01:53 > 0:01:57have been tipped off fake chargers are available at a local store
0:01:57 > 0:02:00and are about to head off to find out if that's true.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Their previous visit last year was met with hostility.
0:02:03 > 0:02:07I do expect some resistance or obstruction from them
0:02:07 > 0:02:10because they weren't having it last time
0:02:10 > 0:02:12when I explained the items are unsafe.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16This time, Trading Standards are taking back-up.
0:02:16 > 0:02:18We are there to assist Trading Standards
0:02:18 > 0:02:20going about their lawful business.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22The first thing we're doing
0:02:22 > 0:02:25is responding to a potential breach of the peace.
0:02:27 > 0:02:29It's time to go in.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31But first, Mohammed, known to everyone as Tariq,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35gets a member of the team to make a test purchase.
0:02:35 > 0:02:37That's going in there now.
0:02:38 > 0:02:43His key objective is to locate and impound dangerous fake chargers
0:02:43 > 0:02:46but any fake item will justify the raid.
0:02:46 > 0:02:47This is vital,
0:02:47 > 0:02:50especially if the shopkeeper is going to be aggressive.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53We've done a test purchase of a mobile phone cover,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56which is basically fake.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58That gives us enough to go in there now
0:02:58 > 0:03:01and have a look around and see what else they're supplying.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Anyone obstructing us will be arrested.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Trading Standards. My name is Mr Tariq.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12The police presence means Tariq
0:03:12 > 0:03:14and his team can feel safe searching for fake goods.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17I'm 100% confident these are counterfeit.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20- You're not 100% confident, though? - Yeah, I am 100% confident.
0:03:20 > 0:03:22We're taking them. End of, yeah?
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Previously on Fake Britain, we told you the tragic story
0:03:28 > 0:03:30of Game Boy enthusiast Connor O'Keeffe.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32If he was out shopping,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35he'd try and walk and do his Game Boy at the same time,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38he was just Game Boy mad.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42When Connor needed a replacement charger for the Game Boy,
0:03:42 > 0:03:45his family unknowingly purchased a fake.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48It was a simple misfortune that was to have tragic consequences.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51He went in search of his Game Boy,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54he thought he'd have a quick go of his Game Boy before his food came.
0:03:54 > 0:03:58I went into get him, he was...
0:04:03 > 0:04:05He was dead.
0:04:05 > 0:04:11Just laying on the floor with the charger lead in his hand.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17Connor's death led directly to a new focus by the authorities
0:04:17 > 0:04:19on dangerous fake chargers
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and that means Trading Standards teams like this one
0:04:22 > 0:04:26give a high priority to removing them from sale.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30In Birmingham, the search for fake chargers continues
0:04:30 > 0:04:34as the team uncovers thousands of fake phone covers.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35This is a huge business in the UK,
0:04:35 > 0:04:38as millions of us want to stop our expensive phones
0:04:38 > 0:04:40from being scratched.
0:04:40 > 0:04:45If a cover appears to be made by a premium brand,
0:04:45 > 0:04:47it can command a premium price.
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Louis Vuitton, Chanel...
0:04:51 > 0:04:54as you can see there is thousands and thousands of items.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58I'm really annoyed because we've been in this premises before
0:04:58 > 0:05:00and we went through all the stock
0:05:00 > 0:05:03and we told them to remove all these infringing items
0:05:03 > 0:05:08and they're blatantly still in possession of them.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Tariq still hasn't found the dangerous chargers he came for
0:05:11 > 0:05:14and the shopkeeper says he has receipts for the phone covers
0:05:14 > 0:05:16which prove they're not fakes.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21No, show me a receipt, don't show me a booklet.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25Show me a receipt and then we'll talk, yeah!
0:05:25 > 0:05:29Not having receipts to prove he's selling genuine goods
0:05:29 > 0:05:32could be about to cost the shopkeeper thousands of pounds.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35Obviously, he's getting a bit agitated now.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37If he's willing to show me a receipt,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40and I'll say that to him again,
0:05:40 > 0:05:42that he's bought this from a legitimate firm,
0:05:42 > 0:05:47then I'll leave them but if he's got no receipt, then I'll take them away.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51Don't keep telling me what my job is
0:05:51 > 0:05:54because we've had the last samples examined... Listen to me,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57listen to me, we had the last lot of samples, which you said were genuine,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00we had them all examined, the Disney, the Hello Kitty,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03everything you're saying is genuine, they've come back fake as well.
0:06:03 > 0:06:05And you're still arguing...
0:06:07 > 0:06:09Where is the invoice?
0:06:11 > 0:06:13There's no point arguing with someone.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16I've given him the opportunity to show me the invoices,
0:06:16 > 0:06:20show me the receipts, how difficult is it to contact his accountant,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23say, "Can you supply me with the receipts?
0:06:23 > 0:06:26"I've got Trading Standards taking my stock," and nothing.
0:06:26 > 0:06:29I'm confident what we're taking away is all fake
0:06:29 > 0:06:31and we'll take it from there.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Under the watchful eye of the police,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36Tariq's team set about collecting up the fakes.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40But what Tariq is about to discover,
0:06:40 > 0:06:44makes the sale of several thousand pounds worth of fakes phone covers
0:06:44 > 0:06:47seem insignificant by comparison.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50These are the ones that have failed originally,
0:06:50 > 0:06:51the iPhone chargers.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Can you show me that, mate?
0:06:53 > 0:06:55- This one?- Yeah. As you can see
0:06:55 > 0:06:58the actual construction of the charger is very poor quality.
0:06:58 > 0:07:03The pins are not actually long enough
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and these have actually failed.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08What happens is, when they hold the heat, they actually explode.
0:07:08 > 0:07:11Basically, they're just fake, shoddy goods
0:07:11 > 0:07:13which have been imported from the Far East
0:07:13 > 0:07:17and being passed off as the genuine iPhone accessories.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19That's given me an indication
0:07:19 > 0:07:23there is going to be more stock of these chargers on the premise.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25My main priority is to get these unsafe chargers
0:07:25 > 0:07:29from sale and distribution urgently.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Coming up...the shopkeeper claims they're not for sale.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36Tariq believes he is hiding a secret stash of the exploding devices
0:07:36 > 0:07:39but can he find them?
0:07:45 > 0:07:48There's nothing more terrifying than thinking
0:07:48 > 0:07:51you might have a serious illness.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54That's why when the authorities intercepted these fake HIV tests,
0:07:54 > 0:07:56they knew they were looking at a situation
0:07:56 > 0:07:59that had potentially tragic consequences
0:07:59 > 0:08:02for the people who'd ordered them and their loved ones.
0:08:02 > 0:08:07HIV effects everybody in society, be you gay, straight,
0:08:07 > 0:08:10anybody can be infected by it.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13And far more people are infected than realise it.
0:08:13 > 0:08:14By the end of 2012,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17we estimate that there will be approximately 100,000 people
0:08:17 > 0:08:21living with HIV, within that, from the anonymous unrelated testing
0:08:21 > 0:08:24that we do, approximately 25% do not know their status,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27so they're out there, they're living with HIV,
0:08:27 > 0:08:28they may be infecting other people.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34HIV tests like this work by taking a pinprick of blood
0:08:34 > 0:08:38and applying it to a device that looks similar to a pregnancy test.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42The fake tests cost between £20 and £35.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45But selling HIV tests direct to the public is illegal.
0:08:45 > 0:08:47So why do people buy them?
0:08:47 > 0:08:51Firstly, because it's more convenient, they can go online and order it.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53But also secondly they may see it as more confidential,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57nobody will know the results except that person.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00Danny Lee Frost is in charge of enforcement
0:09:00 > 0:09:03for the Medicines And Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06They keep us Brits safe from quack cures
0:09:06 > 0:09:08and other dangerous medical products.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10We were contacted by a patient
0:09:10 > 0:09:14who had bought one of these HIV test kits from website.
0:09:14 > 0:09:21He'd used it on himself and the test kit showed he was not HIV.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25Subsequently, he went along to his local clinic
0:09:25 > 0:09:28where he was informed that in fact he was HIV
0:09:28 > 0:09:30and he had been for several months.
0:09:30 > 0:09:32For people who are diagnosed late,
0:09:32 > 0:09:36so they may have had HIV for a period of time and they become unwell
0:09:36 > 0:09:39and they're admitted to hospital, we do know that the overall prognoses
0:09:39 > 0:09:43is affected and that this may have an effect on the lifespan.
0:09:43 > 0:09:46We've seized several thousand of these products
0:09:46 > 0:09:51and we believe thousands more have already come through.
0:09:51 > 0:09:54They arrive in huge crates,
0:09:54 > 0:09:58already addressed, in this format.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01All the parcels we've seized were not going to clinics,
0:10:01 > 0:10:03they were not going to doctors or healthcare centres,
0:10:03 > 0:10:06they were all going to individual customers.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09They were all individually addressed to the person that ordered them
0:10:09 > 0:10:10from the internet.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14With so much at stake, it was vital to get an expert opinion
0:10:14 > 0:10:20on the fake HIV tests and discover exactly how unreliable they are.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Danny sent some of the kits to the Health Protection Agency
0:10:23 > 0:10:27where Professor John Parry oversaw the testing process.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30We sent eight of these devices to colleague at a clinic in London
0:10:30 > 0:10:36to examine them and asked him if he could test eight individuals
0:10:36 > 0:10:39who were known to be HIV-infected
0:10:39 > 0:10:43and check that we were going to get positive results.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Of the eight tests that he undertook,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50two of them didn't give a result at all and one of them
0:10:50 > 0:10:52gave a false negative result.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Now in that case, that individual, had he not already know
0:10:56 > 0:11:00that he was HIV-infected, could have been told he was uninfected
0:11:00 > 0:11:03when indeed he was infected with HIV.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07If those results were replicated for every 1,000 of the fake tests
0:11:07 > 0:11:11already sold, 250 people would have got no result
0:11:11 > 0:11:15and 125 people who have HIV
0:11:15 > 0:11:18would believe they were clear of the virus.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21In contrast, the real tests are almost infallible.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23The tests that are use by laboratories
0:11:23 > 0:11:28and also the rapid tests that are used in the clinic setting
0:11:28 > 0:11:32have been validated by a very rigorous procedure
0:11:32 > 0:11:36that entails testing many thousands of specimens.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38This ensures they're accurate.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41Some of the kits tested by the lab didn't even come
0:11:41 > 0:11:45with all the equipment needed to complete the test.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49In some cases these bottles of liquid
0:11:49 > 0:11:53that are important as part of the test were empty
0:11:53 > 0:11:58and in some cases we found that the pipette was missing.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02The instructions for use were vague,
0:12:02 > 0:12:05the device did not match the pictures.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08This makes one assume that the instructions that were provided
0:12:08 > 0:12:12are not the ones developed for this device.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14And by that token one might assume
0:12:14 > 0:12:18that the device might not be used properly.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22And as we've seen, even if you do use the fake device properly,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24the result is unreliable.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27The experts agree, if you think you might have HIV,
0:12:27 > 0:12:30you should visit your GP or a sexual health clinic.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33Here's why.
0:12:33 > 0:12:35If somebody is diagnosed early it means we can get them into treatment
0:12:35 > 0:12:38we can do regular health monitoring, regular blood tests,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41so we'll know when is the appropriate time to start them
0:12:41 > 0:12:44on the antiretrovirals, which are the drugs that fight HIV,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46they're not a cure but they keep people fit and well
0:12:46 > 0:12:48by keeping the immune system strong.
0:12:54 > 0:12:55Back in Birmingham
0:12:55 > 0:13:00and Tariq has discovered a dangerous fake charger in a mobile phone shop.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02The manager is claiming it's for display only
0:13:02 > 0:13:04and the items aren't for sale.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08Tariq is not convinced and his Trading Standards team
0:13:08 > 0:13:11are searching the warehouse for more of the deadly devices.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Meanwhile, his trained eyes have fallen on something
0:13:14 > 0:13:18that isn't lethal but that he thinks is more evidence
0:13:18 > 0:13:21that the shopkeeper isn't as innocent as he pretends.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24They've blocked out the... On the cellophane...
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Yeah, they've blocked out BlackBerry...
0:13:26 > 0:13:28The BlackBerry trade marks
0:13:28 > 0:13:31but obviously when you're going to open it and use it.
0:13:34 > 0:13:37Right, it's got the BlackBerry on there.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40OK, right.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43Basically, they know what they're doing
0:13:43 > 0:13:46and they're trying to hide the trademarks.
0:13:46 > 0:13:48These are fake, OK?
0:13:49 > 0:13:52And the fact you're deliberately hiding the name
0:13:52 > 0:13:54on the cellophane doesn't help.
0:13:54 > 0:13:58Meanwhile, the search for the dangerous chargers continues.
0:13:58 > 0:14:00Suddenly, there's a breakthrough.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04- Found some?- Yeah.- Bingo!
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Found the chargers that we were looking for.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09This is what we were after.
0:14:09 > 0:14:13Obviously, he's saying now they weren't for sale
0:14:13 > 0:14:16but, obviously, we found some on display in the counter
0:14:16 > 0:14:19so I was right, what they've done,
0:14:19 > 0:14:23they've got a few samples on display, so what they tend to do is,
0:14:23 > 0:14:26if someone wants one, they come around the back.
0:14:26 > 0:14:29As you can see, the box was already open.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30Pick a few and just give them them.
0:14:30 > 0:14:33These chargers can explode and kill
0:14:33 > 0:14:39so our department's priority is to get these off distribution ASAP.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43So I'm quite happy that what we came to achieve we have got it
0:14:43 > 0:14:46and in addition, we've got extra stuff as well.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48So quite happy with that.
0:14:48 > 0:14:51Tariq and his team have scored a major haul.
0:14:51 > 0:14:55Each of the phone chargers removed from the shop
0:14:55 > 0:14:56can sell for as much as £25.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59The shopkeeper won't see that money again.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03But more importantly, the deadly chargers
0:15:03 > 0:15:05have been removed from sale.
0:15:05 > 0:15:07We've had a real fruitful day today.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12As you can see, there has been a large quantity of items seized.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Obviously, they've got no regard for the law.
0:15:14 > 0:15:17They were still carrying on supplying them.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21Our duty is to protect the consumer and protect the economy as well,
0:15:21 > 0:15:22at the end of the day,
0:15:22 > 0:15:28and that's why we're carrying out a series of raids across Birmingham,
0:15:28 > 0:15:32to stop people importing and supplying these items.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Coming up...as the potentially-lethal chargers flood Birmingham,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Tariq and his team extend their search across the city
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and make a major discovery.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46As you can see, we've got boxes and boxes here.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48This is just one part of the storage area.
0:15:48 > 0:15:51I believe there's another storage area at the back.
0:15:51 > 0:15:53I think we're going to be here for some time now.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01If you've seen Fake Britain before,
0:16:01 > 0:16:04you probably know fake cigarettes are a favourite
0:16:04 > 0:16:06of Britain's criminal gangs.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08What you probably won't know, in fact,
0:16:08 > 0:16:10what the criminals may not know,
0:16:10 > 0:16:13is that the CIA are on their tail.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16That's Cigarette Intelligence Agency.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20The big tobacco companies have got all kinds of people
0:16:20 > 0:16:23feeding law enforcement agencies with information
0:16:23 > 0:16:26to help keep a lid on this big-money criminal activity.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28People like this man.
0:16:28 > 0:16:32He's an undercover agent and the only thing we can tell you about him
0:16:32 > 0:16:36is that he works for a big UK tobacco business.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40I really think that when you're working against the syndicates
0:16:40 > 0:16:46that deal in counterfeit cigarettes, it can be quite dangerous.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51Quite frankly, I just feel a lot safer not appearing on camera.
0:16:51 > 0:16:54The exclusive footage he's about to tell us about
0:16:54 > 0:16:59was captured somewhere deep inside China, we can't say where.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01What you can see here is that this factory
0:17:01 > 0:17:03is located in the countryside in the hills.
0:17:03 > 0:17:07The guy we're seeing here, he's digging his way into the factory,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10they do call them Chinese underground counterfeit factories
0:17:10 > 0:17:12and they literally are underground.
0:17:12 > 0:17:15That would be specifically excavated for the purpose
0:17:15 > 0:17:18of setting up the factory, very difficult to find,
0:17:18 > 0:17:21you could walk over it and you wouldn't notice it.
0:17:21 > 0:17:24And here we see the factory. If you look at it, it is quite cramped.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28You have your machinery over one side, you have your kitchen
0:17:28 > 0:17:31that will feed the staff who man this factory.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34These factories last for... In several months,
0:17:34 > 0:17:36they can make several containers of cigarettes.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40It's worth hundred of thousands, millions of dollars.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44And you can see the cigarette-maker here.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48This is their cigarette-maker. There's your paper that goes into it.
0:17:48 > 0:17:51There will be a tobacco feed at another part of that.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54As you can see, it's pretty dirty within this factory.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57Remember, the fake cigarettes made in places like this
0:17:57 > 0:17:59are for sale on the streets of Britain.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03We know this because the big tobacco companies
0:18:03 > 0:18:06have agents at work in places like this Brick Lane market
0:18:06 > 0:18:08in east London.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12It's lunch time and the fake-cigarette sellers are doing brisk business.
0:18:12 > 0:18:13What they don't know
0:18:13 > 0:18:17is one of the people they're selling fake cartons of cigarettes to
0:18:17 > 0:18:20works for the very same company they're ripping off.
0:18:21 > 0:18:25With the goods in hand, next stop for the cut-price cartons
0:18:25 > 0:18:29is British American Tobacco's high-security Southampton facility
0:18:29 > 0:18:31for some cigarette CSI.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34They're using forensic techniques
0:18:34 > 0:18:37that can reveal where the cigarettes were manufactured.
0:18:37 > 0:18:39We received a variety of cigarettes brands that were purchased
0:18:39 > 0:18:42by our undercover investigator in Brick Lane Market.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44And I'm going to determine
0:18:44 > 0:18:47whether or not they're counterfeit or genuine.
0:18:47 > 0:18:50They start with a visual check of the packs.
0:18:50 > 0:18:52Counterfeiters always leave clues
0:18:52 > 0:18:55and here in this lab, they know how to find them.
0:18:55 > 0:18:57From the sides of the packs,
0:18:57 > 0:18:59the logo is actually a different shape.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04Under a microscope even identical looking barcodes tell a story.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07I can tell that this particular pack has not been printed
0:19:07 > 0:19:10in the way that we would print our genuine packs.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12Carefully tearing the sides of the pack away
0:19:12 > 0:19:15reveals even more information about the fakers.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Cigarettes packs are made on a machine
0:19:18 > 0:19:21and the way that it applies the glue leaves a pattern.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24If we look at both of the packs in more detail,
0:19:24 > 0:19:27the first of the suspect samples is quite obviously hand-packed.
0:19:27 > 0:19:28The glue has been applied by a brush.
0:19:28 > 0:19:31The glue application on the second suspect sample
0:19:31 > 0:19:36very closely imitates the genuine reference sample.
0:19:36 > 0:19:38But all is not as it might seem.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It's a trick the fakers use to fool the authorities.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44More than one in five cigarettes smoked in the UK
0:19:44 > 0:19:46is either counterfeit or smuggled.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50That figure rises to one in three in London, and the criminals
0:19:50 > 0:19:53will go to enormous lengths to keep the money rolling in.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57They have a piece of wood which is flattened out
0:19:57 > 0:20:00in the shape of the cigarette packet, they then hammer nails
0:20:00 > 0:20:04into this piece of wood, they then dip this apparatus
0:20:04 > 0:20:07into a vat of glue, place it onto the cigarette packet
0:20:07 > 0:20:10and then very quickly pack it by hand.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12This is not for the benefit of the consumer.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14The only reason the counterfeiters are doing this
0:20:14 > 0:20:18is to try and trick analysts such as myself or customs authorities.
0:20:18 > 0:20:22Most of the fakers' efforts go on making the pack look right,
0:20:22 > 0:20:24even when you get it open.
0:20:24 > 0:20:29But they don't put nearly so much time or money into the cigarette.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32This filter has just completely come apart.
0:20:32 > 0:20:38We can see that tobacco itself is dry and it's old
0:20:38 > 0:20:41and it's not particularly great quality
0:20:41 > 0:20:43and it definitely wouldn't smoke very well.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48In the past we've opened counterfeit cigarettes and come across
0:20:48 > 0:20:52pieces of metal and string and even a used and bloody plaster.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55It's not news that cigarettes are bad for you,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58but fakes can be even worse for your health.
0:20:58 > 0:21:03We have the ability to chemically analyse the tobacco
0:21:03 > 0:21:06in the counterfeit cigarettes and when we've done so in the past,
0:21:06 > 0:21:09we find that the levels of tar and carbon monoxide
0:21:09 > 0:21:12and other toxins are generally higher in the counterfeit cigarettes.
0:21:12 > 0:21:17Cleverly-faked boxes containing cheap and nasty cigarettes.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18What does that tell us
0:21:18 > 0:21:22about where the packs bought on Brick Lane Market were made?
0:21:22 > 0:21:25Both have been manufactured by hand, most likely in China,
0:21:25 > 0:21:26which means that, presumably,
0:21:26 > 0:21:30the workers were working in particularly poor conditions.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33Coming up...we discover just how much cash
0:21:33 > 0:21:35fake cigarettes like these are generating
0:21:35 > 0:21:37on the streets of Britain.
0:21:37 > 0:21:42You could easily clear £1 million profit.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53Back in Birmingham
0:21:53 > 0:21:57and Tariq knows dangerous fake chargers are available in the city.
0:21:57 > 0:22:00Together with his team, he's about to hit a premises
0:22:00 > 0:22:03where he's been tipped off the potentially-lethal goods
0:22:03 > 0:22:04are for sale.
0:22:06 > 0:22:10It only takes moments to discover the fake chargers.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14We know straightaway because we've had these tested
0:22:14 > 0:22:17that these two shelves certainly will fail,
0:22:17 > 0:22:19so we'll be taking those away with us.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21We're just going to search the rest of the premise to see
0:22:21 > 0:22:23if there is anything similar.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26Today, the Birmingham Trading Standards team
0:22:26 > 0:22:30have brought along Steve Curtler from the Electrical Safety Council.
0:22:30 > 0:22:33He's here to make sure they scoop up all the dangerous products
0:22:33 > 0:22:37in the shop, as well as fakes like these.
0:22:37 > 0:22:38There are some things
0:22:38 > 0:22:42you can identify quite easily from looking at just the charger.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45On the face of it, that would raise alarm bells.
0:22:45 > 0:22:49But it's not just the items on display that cause concern.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51The premises has a large cellar.
0:22:51 > 0:22:56An Aladdin's cave of fakes and other dangerous kit.
0:22:56 > 0:22:59Those are the ones that are unsafe.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03- Yep.- Yeah, those are the ones that are unsafe.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05What we've got here, basically,
0:23:05 > 0:23:10is boxes and boxes of fake unsafe chargers, iPhone chargers.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13So what we're going to do is carry out an inspection of all the boxes,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16open them up and find what's in them and basically,
0:23:16 > 0:23:19whatever is infringing, we're going to take away for further examination.
0:23:19 > 0:23:23It's massive as you can see we've got boxes and boxes here,
0:23:23 > 0:23:26this is just one part of the storage area.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28I believe there's another storage area at the back.
0:23:28 > 0:23:31I think we're going to be here for some time now.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37You can see from the volume here, there is a lot of money in it,
0:23:37 > 0:23:40to be made, to the detriment of safety,
0:23:40 > 0:23:43so it is very concerning.
0:23:43 > 0:23:47Not all the dangerous items he's discovered are fakes.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50These items are genuine, that is genuinely lethal.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52They're illegal in the UK
0:23:52 > 0:23:55because there is nothing to prevent adults or children
0:23:55 > 0:23:59from being electrocuted by putting their fingers into these holes.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Steve has also gathered up a handful of fake chargers
0:24:02 > 0:24:04and other fake electrical items
0:24:04 > 0:24:08that he wants to take away for further testing.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13We have some samples of some of the items that we've seized,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16they would not meet UK safety regulations.
0:24:19 > 0:24:23Here we have a soldering iron that is fitted with a fake plug,
0:24:23 > 0:24:27which will not blow if there was a fault on the soldering iron,
0:24:27 > 0:24:28it would just explode.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32And the likelihood is that that is a counterfeit fuse as well.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35If it's actually connected inside the plug at all.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38That's extremely dangerous because if you were to touch that
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and there was a fault, you'd get an electric shock,
0:24:41 > 0:24:44it wouldn't blow the fuse and it's also a fire risk.
0:24:44 > 0:24:45Potentially lethal.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49The fake fuses on these soldering irons mean they too are taken away.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Tariq now has a van-load of fake goods,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55some of them with the potential to kill.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59It's been a really good, successful day today.
0:24:59 > 0:25:02The amount of stuff that was there was shocking,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05I didn't expect that much stuff to be honest with you,
0:25:05 > 0:25:08but as you can see, the majority of the stuff
0:25:08 > 0:25:12was either in the showroom or in the storage area down below.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14Good result.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28We're watching footage shot in China of a fake-cigarette factory.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30The man explaining what we're looking at
0:25:30 > 0:25:34works as an undercover investigator for a big UK tobacco business.
0:25:35 > 0:25:39Fake cigarettes may be cheaper for smokers than the genuine items
0:25:39 > 0:25:42but the cost to the workers who make them is high,
0:25:42 > 0:25:44as terrible conditions prevail
0:25:44 > 0:25:47for those who work in these large-scale operations.
0:25:47 > 0:25:51There are just bags and bags and bags of tobacco.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Again, just all crammed in, so if you were working there
0:25:54 > 0:25:56it would be pretty miserable conditions, really.
0:25:56 > 0:26:00You've got all this equipment inside it, there's not much room to move
0:26:00 > 0:26:04and to be honest I suppose it's a bit dangerous, if this collapsed or fell.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06People can be forced to live in these conditions
0:26:06 > 0:26:09for weeks at a time without seeing sunlight.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11Given that these are underground factories,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14you probably wouldn't want people popping in and out of them constantly
0:26:14 > 0:26:17because that would attract attention to the location that,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20as you've seen, is quite carefully concealed.
0:26:20 > 0:26:25I would imagine that when people are put into these factories,
0:26:25 > 0:26:29they work shifts on and off maybe for a few weeks before they leave.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32In some of these factories, when it rains they can flood
0:26:32 > 0:26:35and you've got a lot of electrical equipment
0:26:35 > 0:26:38with water running into the chamber, can be extremely dangerous.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41Just generally a pretty appalling work environment.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47The misery of working in a place like this
0:26:47 > 0:26:50is only equalled by the cash generated for the criminals
0:26:50 > 0:26:53who buy the cigarettes to sell here in Britain.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55As for the profits that can be made from this,
0:26:55 > 0:27:01if you invested a stake of, say, £130,000, £140,000,
0:27:01 > 0:27:06you could buy yourself a 40-foot container of counterfeit cigarettes.
0:27:08 > 0:27:13There would be about 8-9 million cigarettes within that container.
0:27:14 > 0:27:16If you could sell that in a market like the UK
0:27:16 > 0:27:21at half the price of legal retail cigarettes,
0:27:21 > 0:27:26you could easily clear £1 million profit.
0:27:27 > 0:27:31It would not be uncommon and it would not be impossible
0:27:31 > 0:27:35to buy one 40-foot container per month
0:27:35 > 0:27:37if you had a decent supply chain.
0:27:37 > 0:27:42That's a profit of £12 million a year, but to make money like that
0:27:42 > 0:27:47it's necessary to deal with people who will stop at nothing.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50There is one particular Triad we did meet
0:27:50 > 0:27:54and he was involved in smuggling cigarettes.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57He'd been bloodied as part of his initiation
0:27:57 > 0:28:00and progress into the Triads, and he had killed people.
0:28:00 > 0:28:03There was one particular occasion that was quite shocking,
0:28:03 > 0:28:07in that this Triad was part of a syndicate
0:28:07 > 0:28:11that was smuggling a container load of cigarettes and women.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15The authorities tried to intercept the container,
0:28:15 > 0:28:18to seize it and to free the women,
0:28:18 > 0:28:21and in order to escape the authorities,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23they quite simply opened the container
0:28:23 > 0:28:25and threw the women into the sea
0:28:25 > 0:28:30and left them in open sea, in the ocean and, of course, they drowned.
0:28:30 > 0:28:33All died and, at the end of the day,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36this Triad really had no remorse for that,
0:28:36 > 0:28:38it was simply just business.
0:28:46 > 0:28:51Tens of thousands of microphones are sold in the UK every year
0:28:51 > 0:28:53and used by everyone from bingo callers
0:28:53 > 0:28:56to the world's biggest bands.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59But where there's business, there's fakes.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Usually made in China and usually for sale over the internet.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05US company Shure
0:29:05 > 0:29:08are one of the world's most established manufacturers
0:29:08 > 0:29:10and they've bought some copies of their own kit
0:29:10 > 0:29:12to see how well it works.
0:29:12 > 0:29:15What we have here, is about a dozen examples.
0:29:15 > 0:29:19Six out of here immediately don't work, dead out of the box.
0:29:19 > 0:29:23This one put a horrible buzz through the sound system,
0:29:23 > 0:29:25the four on this side actually work
0:29:25 > 0:29:28but they don't sound right to the professional ear.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Our company does take counterfeiting extremely seriously.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33We have a legal team in place
0:29:33 > 0:29:36and we work with local law enforcement agencies
0:29:36 > 0:29:39to try our best to ensure that these counterfeit products
0:29:39 > 0:29:41don't actually reach the hands of the consumer.
0:29:41 > 0:29:44If you get a fake microphone through the post,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47it will be virtually impossible to distinguish
0:29:47 > 0:29:48the counterfeit from a real one.
0:29:48 > 0:29:52Just to the naked eye, it's literally impossible to tell the difference
0:29:52 > 0:29:55unless you're a seasoned professional.
0:29:55 > 0:29:56WOMAN SINGS
0:29:56 > 0:29:58A man like Roger Lindsay.
0:29:58 > 0:30:01OK, if you could try that one more time.
0:30:01 > 0:30:03A sound-engineering legend who's worked with
0:30:03 > 0:30:06some of the biggest names in the business.
0:30:06 > 0:30:10Prince, George Michael, Pink Floyd, James Taylor,
0:30:10 > 0:30:14and that's encompassed everything from tiny clubs to giant stadiums.
0:30:14 > 0:30:18I have a responsibility to the artist but also to the audience
0:30:18 > 0:30:22who've paid their hard-earned cash to go and see a show.
0:30:22 > 0:30:24The microphone provides that first vital link.
0:30:24 > 0:30:27Everything that happens after that is irrelevant
0:30:27 > 0:30:30unless the microphone itself delivers.
0:30:30 > 0:30:34And Roger reckons there are three key ways fake microphones don't.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38For a lead singer, when he sings into the microphone,
0:30:38 > 0:30:42he may be surrounded by drums, guitars, keyboards,
0:30:42 > 0:30:44any number of sound sources,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47but the microphone is designed to just pick up
0:30:47 > 0:30:48what is directly in front of it.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50# Oh-ah-oh-ah-ohh... #
0:30:50 > 0:30:53On the fake microphone, as she moves round, it still keeps picking up
0:30:53 > 0:30:56she's signing into the side of the microphone.
0:30:56 > 0:30:58And yet it's still being amplified.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02# Oh-ah-oh-ah-ohhh... #
0:31:02 > 0:31:06That means the fake mic is picking up sound from around the stage.
0:31:06 > 0:31:11As an engineer, if I turn up the vocal mic in an arena,
0:31:11 > 0:31:13I just want the vocal to get louder,
0:31:13 > 0:31:16with the genuine article that's what happens.
0:31:16 > 0:31:20So a fake microphone means a singer you can't hear
0:31:20 > 0:31:23and according to Roger, dancing is also off the cards.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25Very few artists stand still on a stage,
0:31:25 > 0:31:27it's a performance, they move around.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30With a real microphone, the only sound you hear
0:31:30 > 0:31:33is the sound of a voice going into a microphone.
0:31:35 > 0:31:38With a fake microphone, you get all kinds of interference
0:31:38 > 0:31:41and handling noise, which can be really distracting.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43DULL THUDDING
0:31:43 > 0:31:45Now if you imagine that in a stadium,
0:31:45 > 0:31:47you're not singing, you're just holding a microphone,
0:31:47 > 0:31:53that's being amplified to 100,000 people in the middle of a song.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56They hear every bit of that and you're not even singing.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58So fakes mean you can't hear the singer
0:31:58 > 0:32:02and they have to stand absolutely still. Anything else?
0:32:02 > 0:32:05One of the other problems with picking up sound
0:32:05 > 0:32:08from anywhere other than directly in front of the microphone,
0:32:08 > 0:32:11it is very likely to induce unwanted feedback.
0:32:11 > 0:32:14Now these two microphones are side by side,
0:32:14 > 0:32:17about 10 metres away from the nearest loudspeaker.
0:32:17 > 0:32:22If I turn on the genuine microphone, it's stable,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25nothing happening, if I turn on the fake microphone...
0:32:25 > 0:32:28THROBBING
0:32:28 > 0:32:29..that's what happens.
0:32:29 > 0:32:33Ouch! And the problems don't end there.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36For you to enjoy your night out, the band has to have mics
0:32:36 > 0:32:39that can stand up to life on the road.
0:32:41 > 0:32:44Tuomo is so confident that his mic is durable,
0:32:44 > 0:32:46he's going to take this cherry-picker
0:32:46 > 0:32:48up to the height of a two-storey building
0:32:48 > 0:32:52and drop one off, together with a fake, to see how they fare.
0:32:52 > 0:32:55We go through extremely stringent testing
0:32:55 > 0:32:58to make sure that our products actually meet the criteria
0:32:58 > 0:33:00that is expected of them.
0:33:00 > 0:33:04This includes cold tests, heat tests, perspiration tests,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07solar radiation tests and each one of these
0:33:07 > 0:33:10can take a severe beating and still carry on operating.
0:33:10 > 0:33:13So this is the counterfeit going! Goodbye!
0:33:16 > 0:33:20And here goes the real one! Goodbye!
0:33:20 > 0:33:22If they're both broken or both working,
0:33:22 > 0:33:25these fellas are going to look pretty daft.
0:33:25 > 0:33:27First up, the fake.
0:33:27 > 0:33:30Check one-two, check one-two. Dead.
0:33:32 > 0:33:34But has the real mic survived the fall?
0:33:34 > 0:33:36- Check one-two. - VOICE AMPLIFIES THROUGH SPEAKER
0:33:36 > 0:33:37Yeah!
0:33:42 > 0:33:44There is no way that a counterfeit microphone
0:33:44 > 0:33:47can replicate nearly nine decades of engineering,
0:33:47 > 0:33:52research and development and quality-testing of the authentic article.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03Electrical expert Steve Curtler is busy preparing the samples
0:34:03 > 0:34:05taken from the raids in Birmingham
0:34:05 > 0:34:08at this electrical safety-testing lab.
0:34:08 > 0:34:11Here we have the items we found during the inspection
0:34:11 > 0:34:13with Trading Standards.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16We can see with some of the features immediately
0:34:16 > 0:34:19that they're non-compliant with safety standards.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24We want to see if they present a hazard, in terms of shock or fire.
0:34:26 > 0:34:29A common problem with fake goods is a fake fuse.
0:34:29 > 0:34:33It's supposed to prevent you from getting an electric shock
0:34:33 > 0:34:36when a simple fault with the device causes a short circuit.
0:34:36 > 0:34:40Steve and his colleagues are busy replicating those faults
0:34:40 > 0:34:43so they can test the plugs and fuses they believe are fake.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49A fault could be from a trapped or damaged cable
0:34:49 > 0:34:53or an internal component has failed inside an appliance.
0:34:59 > 0:35:03This specialist equipment is specifically designed
0:35:03 > 0:35:04to test the safety of plugs.
0:35:04 > 0:35:07The fake fuse, fitted, shows what can happen
0:35:07 > 0:35:09when safety standards aren't met.
0:35:09 > 0:35:13And don't forget, at home, this explosion wouldn't happen
0:35:13 > 0:35:16when an expert around the corner presses a button on kit
0:35:16 > 0:35:18that looks like it's come from Cape Canaveral.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21This would happen when you plug in.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24In other words, your hand would be on the socket switch
0:35:24 > 0:35:26or even the plug itself.
0:35:26 > 0:35:29You can imagine if you were plugging something in at the time,
0:35:29 > 0:35:32that would do a lot of injury.
0:35:32 > 0:35:37Not to mention the possibility of getting an electric shock
0:35:37 > 0:35:38at the same time.
0:35:38 > 0:35:43And dangers don't just occur when a fuse blows violently.
0:35:43 > 0:35:46Steve's about to plug in the soldering iron
0:35:46 > 0:35:50that was for sale at the second phone-charger store we saw earlier.
0:35:50 > 0:35:54This shows fake plugs can be just as deadly when the fuse doesn't blow.
0:35:54 > 0:35:56Going now.
0:35:56 > 0:35:58BANG!
0:35:58 > 0:36:02There's various different ways that fake plugs can be dangerous.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05In this particular case, the fuse didn't blow at all,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08so if something went wrong with the soldering iron,
0:36:08 > 0:36:13the fuse in this plug wouldn't blow to cut off the electricity supply.
0:36:13 > 0:36:15So if you were to touch that, you'd get an electric shock.
0:36:17 > 0:36:19Fake plugs and chargers can be lethal
0:36:19 > 0:36:23and we need to keep them out of our homes. Here's how.
0:36:23 > 0:36:27Some of the tests we carried out, failed in a spectacular manner.
0:36:27 > 0:36:30We had explosions occurring because of the fake fuses
0:36:30 > 0:36:33but other items, such as the iPhone charger,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35actually have all the hidden dangers,
0:36:35 > 0:36:38such as the plug pins being too close together,
0:36:38 > 0:36:41so when you take the plug out, you can get access to live pins.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44And again, you can cause yourself a serious electric shock
0:36:44 > 0:36:45or even electrocution.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49We would always recommend that you buy from a reputable retailer
0:36:49 > 0:36:52and if you're not sure, there is loads of information
0:36:52 > 0:36:54on the Electrical Safety Council's website,
0:36:54 > 0:36:56which is esc.org.uk,
0:36:56 > 0:36:59where we provide loads of safety information.
0:36:59 > 0:37:02The message really is, think before you buy
0:37:02 > 0:37:06because the risk to your family and friends isn't worth the risk.
0:37:12 > 0:37:17Fakes are a business worth an estimated 500 billion a year.
0:37:17 > 0:37:20Now a British business has developed a new weapon
0:37:20 > 0:37:22in the war on counterfeit products
0:37:22 > 0:37:25that's been raging for almost 40 years.
0:37:25 > 0:37:30The modern, industrial-scale counterfeiting
0:37:30 > 0:37:35started around the 1970s and 1980s, when a whole range of products
0:37:35 > 0:37:37started to be copied by counterfeiters
0:37:37 > 0:37:41who saw opportunity to make very quick profits with minimum risk.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44And like a lot of things in the '70s,
0:37:44 > 0:37:46the fakes lacked sophistication.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50Well-known brands with bad spelling were a giveaway.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Now, look at the Taiwanese fake where the letter E is missing
0:37:53 > 0:37:55out of "Stanley".
0:37:56 > 0:37:59And plastic on premium products, a clear, telltale sign.
0:37:59 > 0:38:02It doesn't have proper cork on top
0:38:02 > 0:38:07and of course there isn't the indent at the bottom if the bottle.
0:38:12 > 0:38:17Luxury good were the focus of counterfeiters in the early days.
0:38:17 > 0:38:22And for many these were almost a novelty item.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25They weren't really concerned that they were buying a fake Rolex watch,
0:38:25 > 0:38:30they just wanted the image that having the Rolex brand on their wrist would confer.
0:38:31 > 0:38:33But the fakers soon realised that
0:38:33 > 0:38:36if they could trick the public there would be big money
0:38:36 > 0:38:39in selling millions of counterfeit everyday items.
0:38:39 > 0:38:43The development then moved primarily from luxury goods
0:38:43 > 0:38:45to mass-produced items.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49This is an example of a fake tin of Nescafe coffee.
0:38:49 > 0:38:52Here is a spark plug.
0:38:52 > 0:38:57Counterfeiters increasingly turned their skills to mass-produced items.
0:39:01 > 0:39:02At the turn of the '80s,
0:39:02 > 0:39:05big business could see big trouble ahead.
0:39:05 > 0:39:09With sales falling as shoppers started to be fooled by fakes,
0:39:09 > 0:39:11they needed a solution, and quick.
0:39:13 > 0:39:17Typically, a brand owner doesn't consider it
0:39:17 > 0:39:19worth protecting their product
0:39:19 > 0:39:24until they've lost between 10-15% of their market share.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28When it reaches 20% then they're desperate for a solution.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31And that solution is often a hologram.
0:39:31 > 0:39:35In the early '80s, the credit card companies were losing millions
0:39:35 > 0:39:39through fake cards and this famous image was put on your plastic.
0:39:39 > 0:39:44Something like 70% of the crimes that were committed
0:39:44 > 0:39:48using counterfeit cards were just gone,
0:39:48 > 0:39:50so it had huge impact.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52But the counterfeiters hit back,
0:39:52 > 0:39:56at first just sticking a small piece of silver foil
0:39:56 > 0:39:58to their counterfeit cards.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02Sort of the equivalent of me handing you a blank piece of paper
0:40:02 > 0:40:05and saying, "That's a £5 note."
0:40:05 > 0:40:07The counterfeit arms race rolled on.
0:40:07 > 0:40:09Fakers found new ways
0:40:09 > 0:40:13of trying to imitate the look of a hologram, until...
0:40:13 > 0:40:16In the '90s, they found a company in the Far East
0:40:16 > 0:40:19who was prepared to make a real hologram,
0:40:19 > 0:40:22but it was made in self-adhesive labels,
0:40:22 > 0:40:24which can be stuck onto the cards,
0:40:24 > 0:40:28and the fakers have even tried sending fake letters to David
0:40:28 > 0:40:31to get him to make their holograms
0:40:31 > 0:40:33by posing as legitimate manufacturers.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36We were continually approached with a letter saying,
0:40:36 > 0:40:40"We are the rightful manufacturer of these batteries.
0:40:40 > 0:40:45"Could you copy our hologram, which we want to change supplier."
0:40:45 > 0:40:49All duly signed and rubber-stamped from China
0:40:49 > 0:40:53and you just put it in the file with all the others.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56This computer software and everyday banknotes show holograms
0:40:56 > 0:41:01are still a great way to help you and me identify the real deal.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04But now a British company has come up with a new way
0:41:04 > 0:41:07to keep fakes off the shelves of our shops,
0:41:07 > 0:41:09without you knowing anything about it.
0:41:09 > 0:41:13It takes a digital fingerprint from every single item
0:41:13 > 0:41:15rolling off the production line,
0:41:15 > 0:41:18which means even a perfect fake can be picked up in the shops
0:41:18 > 0:41:20using a simple scanner.
0:41:20 > 0:41:23And just as we were promised as kids,
0:41:23 > 0:41:24the future is all about lasers.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28The way the technology works is that we shine a laser
0:41:28 > 0:41:29at the surface of something
0:41:29 > 0:41:31and we look at they way it bounces off and it's the way
0:41:31 > 0:41:33this light bounces off the surface
0:41:33 > 0:41:35that we use then to create a signature,
0:41:35 > 0:41:37something like a finger print that then becomes unique
0:41:37 > 0:41:39for that one single product.
0:41:41 > 0:41:45All very well in theory, but let's see it in action.
0:41:45 > 0:41:48We've challenged Andrew to distinguish between
0:41:48 > 0:41:50three identical perfume boxes.
0:41:50 > 0:41:53None of them is really a fake but only two of them
0:41:53 > 0:41:56have been scanned and registered in the machine's database.
0:41:56 > 0:41:59So this first carton is carton number one.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01The second carton we have here is carton number two
0:42:01 > 0:42:04and this box isn't in the database we've prepared
0:42:04 > 0:42:07so we've marked it as fake.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09A quick mix of the cartons
0:42:09 > 0:42:12and the machine then scans the surface of the boxes
0:42:12 > 0:42:15looking for microscopic differences in the fibres of the cardboard.
0:42:15 > 0:42:19I have no idea which carton is which so if we take the first carton,
0:42:19 > 0:42:23we place it onto the scanning head and push the button.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25And it comes back and the device tells us
0:42:25 > 0:42:27that this is actually the fake carton.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29So now if we look to see if this is correct,
0:42:29 > 0:42:31we can open the cartons and we see that, yes,
0:42:31 > 0:42:35as the device predicted, this is actually the fake carton.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37It works!
0:42:37 > 0:42:41A simple to operate device that can pick up even a perfect fake
0:42:41 > 0:42:43at the point of sale.
0:42:43 > 0:42:47A British invention that could put us here at Fake Britain out of work.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55That's all from Fake Britain today. Bye for now.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd