0:00:02 > 0:00:05Welcome to a world where nothing is as it seems.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08Welcome to Fake Britain.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11- Police! - SHOUTING
0:00:20 > 0:00:22- Get down! Get down! - On the floor now!
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Put your hands behind your back now.
0:00:24 > 0:00:26Here at the Fake Britain house,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29we'll reveal the fakes that are flooding the market,
0:00:29 > 0:00:34conning people like you and me and making money for the criminals.
0:00:34 > 0:00:37We'll investigate the fraudsters who are selling us something
0:00:37 > 0:00:39that isn't real and could be dangerous,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42and we'll help you avoid falling for a fake.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Today, on Fake Britain,
0:00:45 > 0:00:50the fake life-saving equipment that got into the NHS...
0:00:50 > 0:00:53This would break under any serious pressure.
0:00:55 > 0:00:57Life lost.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01..the fake cigarettes hidden right under our noses...
0:01:01 > 0:01:02It was reinforced.
0:01:02 > 0:01:05When you see what was in the back of the van, you can see why.
0:01:05 > 0:01:08..the fake cashmere that could contain rat fur...
0:01:08 > 0:01:12Imagine rat fur round your head. It just doesn't bear thinking about.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15..and the chilling story of the fake ice cream vans.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18The quality of workmanship was shocking.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20Potentially a safety hazard going down the road.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30Here on Fake Britain, we're constantly amazed
0:01:30 > 0:01:33at the lengths the fakers will go to, to make money.
0:01:33 > 0:01:34Look at this.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36It's a Combat Application Tourniquet,
0:01:36 > 0:01:38used on patients who have a very real risk
0:01:38 > 0:01:39of dying through blood loss.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42They're carried by the military, the police and also ambulance crews.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44It may not look like much,
0:01:44 > 0:01:47but it could be the difference between life and death.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49This one, though, won't be saving any lives.
0:01:49 > 0:01:52It's highly dangerous because it doesn't work.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54It's a fake, and alarmingly,
0:01:54 > 0:01:58fakes like this have found their way into the NHS.
0:02:00 > 0:02:03Every single ambulance trust across the country
0:02:03 > 0:02:07has one of these critical pieces of life-saving equipment.
0:02:07 > 0:02:10It's a Combat Application Tourniquet,
0:02:10 > 0:02:11or CAT.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14Paramedics used the tourniquets to save lives
0:02:14 > 0:02:17during the Alton Towers roller-coaster disaster.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21This was one of the worst accidents ever on a theme park ride,
0:02:21 > 0:02:24leaving 16 people injured - including Leah Washington,
0:02:24 > 0:02:28whose left leg was badly crushed in the accident.
0:02:28 > 0:02:30Because I was so injured on the ride,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33I needed their skills to save my life, really.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36So, I was literally just bleeding to death
0:02:36 > 0:02:38and these tourniquets helped stop the bleeding.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44The main artery in Leah's leg was completely severed
0:02:44 > 0:02:46in the accident.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50X-rays taken at the time show where paramedics had to apply
0:02:50 > 0:02:53two CAT tourniquets to stop her from bleeding to death.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57You can see on one of the pictures of my left thigh
0:02:57 > 0:03:00how much pressure they're actually putting onto my leg.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03There's two darker shades,
0:03:03 > 0:03:06and that's where the two tourniquets were,
0:03:06 > 0:03:10and it's quite shocking, really, when you look at how tight it is.
0:03:12 > 0:03:14It looks simple,
0:03:14 > 0:03:16but the Combat Application Tourniquet
0:03:16 > 0:03:19has a patented design that makes it reliable
0:03:19 > 0:03:22and simple to use in an emergency.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25The tourniquets are made by Fenton Pharmaceuticals.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29Managing director Graham Hill showed us how they work.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Here we have simulated gunshot wound to the thigh,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36and applying the tourniquet is easy.
0:03:36 > 0:03:40Take the tourniquet, put it on above the point of bleeding.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Tighten up.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Put through the buckle.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And then tighten the windlass
0:03:48 > 0:03:53as required until the bleeding stops.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56The tourniquets can be bought online by first aiders,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58mountaineers and machine operators -
0:03:58 > 0:04:00in fact, anyone who might need one
0:04:00 > 0:04:03in their emergency medical kit.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06And they're used by paramedics across the country
0:04:06 > 0:04:09to save the lives of people injured in road accidents.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Genuine tourniquets are rigorously tested
0:04:11 > 0:04:14and designed to be strong.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18A tourniquet is not a "I might put this on."
0:04:18 > 0:04:22It's, "I need to put this on or my casualty will die,"
0:04:22 > 0:04:27and therefore, it has to work first time, every time.
0:04:28 > 0:04:29Since being introduced,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32the tourniquets have sold in their thousands,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35but now there are fakes on the market.
0:04:35 > 0:04:41I was at a trade show and I was approached by a Chinese gentleman
0:04:41 > 0:04:44and he said, "I've got something on my booth that I'd like to show you."
0:04:44 > 0:04:47And he very proudly showed me
0:04:47 > 0:04:51a very poor copy of the CAT tourniquet
0:04:51 > 0:04:54and tried to sell it to me.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56The tourniquet on offer was a fake version
0:04:56 > 0:05:00of the genuine patented Combat Application Tourniquet
0:05:00 > 0:05:04and was even being sold under the trademarked CAT name.
0:05:04 > 0:05:07It did have a CE mark on it.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10When I challenged the Chinese gentleman
0:05:10 > 0:05:11about the CE mark,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15he said, "Yes, that stands for Chinese export."
0:05:15 > 0:05:17The CE mark is a safety mark
0:05:17 > 0:05:21that shows a product complies with European safety legislation.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25But the CE mark on the fake CAT tourniquet was also fake,
0:05:25 > 0:05:28put on to fool buyers into thinking the tourniquet
0:05:28 > 0:05:29had been safety tested.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32I couldn't be more concerned about the fact
0:05:32 > 0:05:35that there are fake CAT tourniquets out there.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Nobody is going to use a CAT tourniquet
0:05:37 > 0:05:41unless they really need to in extremeness,
0:05:41 > 0:05:45and that is not the time to have a device fail.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Genuine CAT tourniquets have been engineered
0:05:49 > 0:05:51to withstand the extreme pressure they're put under
0:05:51 > 0:05:55when they're fully tightened to stop blood loss.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57Pull it through, apply the Velcro
0:05:57 > 0:06:01and then turn the windlass very, very tight.
0:06:01 > 0:06:02On the real tourniquet,
0:06:02 > 0:06:08it's designed to flex a certain amount
0:06:08 > 0:06:10so that it won't break.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16But how do the fake tourniquets hold up in an emergency?
0:06:16 > 0:06:21The risk of the windlass bar breaking here on the fake...
0:06:21 > 0:06:26There you go. You can see how easy that was to break.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30Andy Collen is a consultant paramedic
0:06:30 > 0:06:33with over 20 years' experience in the ambulance service,
0:06:33 > 0:06:36during which time, he's saved the lives of dozens
0:06:36 > 0:06:38of serious trauma victims.
0:06:38 > 0:06:40Patients that are badly injured,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43blood loss is one of the major causes of death.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45So, of course, you have blood in your body.
0:06:45 > 0:06:48It's best to keep that blood inside your body.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51Devices like the tourniquet help us to do that.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54We showed Andy how a fake tourniquet
0:06:54 > 0:06:57might perform in an emergency situation.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02Wow. The handle snaps very easily on the fake one.
0:07:02 > 0:07:04That's really quite alarming.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06The last thing you want to have happen
0:07:06 > 0:07:09to your patient is equipment fail, particularly if that failure
0:07:09 > 0:07:12can lead to a really bad outcome for patients.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16So, yeah, I'm pretty stunned and shocked with what I've seen,
0:07:16 > 0:07:20and I really hope that we don't see these fake products
0:07:20 > 0:07:22out there on the streets.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27Fake tourniquets like these are available for sale online.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29At Fenton Pharmaceuticals,
0:07:29 > 0:07:32it's Andrew Saunders' job to scour the internet
0:07:32 > 0:07:35and identify the fakes before anyone gets hurt.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
0:07:39 > 0:07:44Seven of the ten tourniquets for sale on this site are fake.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46And you can tell by the price.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48They're somewhat cheaper than the genuine article.
0:07:48 > 0:07:52But fakes aren't just being sold in small batches online.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53During filming,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57Fenton Pharmaceuticals made an astonishing discovery.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Fake tourniquets had penetrated the NHS supply chain,
0:08:01 > 0:08:05potentially putting hundreds of lives at risk.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08One of my colleagues had a meeting with the Scottish NHS,
0:08:08 > 0:08:10the Special Operations Response Team,
0:08:10 > 0:08:14and this particular tourniquet was brought out
0:08:14 > 0:08:18and my colleague immediately saw it and said, "That is a fake CAT."
0:08:19 > 0:08:22The Scottish NHS team had inadvertently bought
0:08:22 > 0:08:252,000 fake tourniquets.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Paramedics could've gone out in ambulances equipped
0:08:28 > 0:08:31with fake life-saving equipment.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34You can just imagine the scene where their response vehicles
0:08:34 > 0:08:37are driving round, they get called to a job,
0:08:37 > 0:08:39they go to work to save the life
0:08:39 > 0:08:43and the device breaks and the patient dies.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49Fenton Pharmaceuticals was concerned about other fake tourniquets
0:08:49 > 0:08:51being out there, and so they issued a press release
0:08:51 > 0:08:53urging organisations to check
0:08:53 > 0:08:56whether their Combat Application Tourniquets
0:08:56 > 0:08:57were for real.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59The response was shocking.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02We very quickly started receiving phone calls
0:09:02 > 0:09:08from a number of organisations who have purchased fake CATs
0:09:08 > 0:09:11and issued them to their staff.
0:09:12 > 0:09:16The National Ambulance Service of Ireland and ERS Medical,
0:09:16 > 0:09:19one of the largest independent ambulance services in the country
0:09:19 > 0:09:22supplying vehicles and staff to the NHS,
0:09:22 > 0:09:26both inadvertently bought fake, noncompliant CAT tourniquets
0:09:26 > 0:09:29which could've ended up in ambulances.
0:09:29 > 0:09:33Graham Hill showed us some samples that have been sent in.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35As soon as we received these,
0:09:35 > 0:09:38we were able to verify very, very quickly that they were fake.
0:09:38 > 0:09:43You can actually see quite easily that they're all different.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45ERS Medical told us...
0:09:54 > 0:09:55They say...
0:09:59 > 0:10:02All those who bought fake CAT tourniquets
0:10:02 > 0:10:03have recalled and replaced them.
0:10:03 > 0:10:05No patients have been affected,
0:10:05 > 0:10:08but Graham fears more fakes may still be out there.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11This will break under any serious pressure,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15and if these were all over the UK in ambulances,
0:10:15 > 0:10:17then potentially that's a life lost.
0:10:17 > 0:10:18I'll have a go.
0:10:21 > 0:10:23Life lost.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32The trade in counterfeit and illegal cigarettes in this country
0:10:32 > 0:10:34is estimated to cost the government
0:10:34 > 0:10:37more than £2 billion in lost revenue,
0:10:37 > 0:10:41and the battle between the criminals and HM Revenue & Customs
0:10:41 > 0:10:42is going on every day.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Fake Britain has been to Manchester
0:10:44 > 0:10:46on a special HMRC operation
0:10:46 > 0:10:49to discover the extraordinary lengths the fakers will go to
0:10:49 > 0:10:53to hide their illegal stashes and carry on their trade.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57This morning, a major operation is underway
0:10:57 > 0:11:00to crack down on sellers of fake cigarettes.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06Andy Millican from HMRC is leading the operation.
0:11:06 > 0:11:09The area that we're visiting today
0:11:09 > 0:11:12has often been described as the counterfeit capital of the UK.
0:11:12 > 0:11:14Lots of the agencies have had
0:11:14 > 0:11:16problems over the last few years, including HMRC.
0:11:16 > 0:11:18We've got intelligence to indicate
0:11:18 > 0:11:23that there are illicit sales of tobacco
0:11:23 > 0:11:24in and around the area.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Andy's team already knows
0:11:27 > 0:11:29the length that sellers of fake cigarettes will go to
0:11:29 > 0:11:32to conceal their illegal merchandise.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37The bottom of wheelie bins, fake cupboards,
0:11:37 > 0:11:40and that's the reason that we brought the dog with us today.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Hopefully, with the dog,
0:11:41 > 0:11:45he's going to sniff out all these ingenious hiding places.
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Today, the team has information there's a new type of hiding place
0:11:49 > 0:11:53for fake cigarettes - one they've never seen before -
0:11:53 > 0:11:54and it's somewhere in this car park.
0:11:54 > 0:11:58They think that cars are being used like mobile safes -
0:11:58 > 0:12:02out of sight, securely locked and quickly movable.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05If there's any trouble, they can be driven away
0:12:05 > 0:12:07with the fake goods safely inside.
0:12:07 > 0:12:11The tobacco dog is looking for indicators of tobacco products.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13He's methodically going around the car park
0:12:13 > 0:12:14to check every single vehicle,
0:12:14 > 0:12:17and we'll see what they turn up when officers get to them
0:12:17 > 0:12:19and actually get into the vehicles and search them.
0:12:19 > 0:12:24And it's not long before the dogs sniff out something of interest.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27The tobacco dog has indicated that there's probably products in there.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29There's another one just further down.
0:12:29 > 0:12:33With a number of cars now under suspicion,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36it's time to see what's behind closed doors.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43Finally, their efforts are rewarded.
0:12:43 > 0:12:45So, this is the car that was indicated by the search dog.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48There is a quantity of cigarettes in there.
0:12:48 > 0:12:52There's also a quantity of cannabis that we found in the boot,
0:12:52 > 0:12:53along with dealer bags,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55so I suspect that the person's using this
0:12:55 > 0:12:57to store the drugs and the ciggies in, yeah.
0:12:57 > 0:13:02It appears this car is more than just a run around for its owner.
0:13:02 > 0:13:05My colleagues have just found an example here.
0:13:05 > 0:13:08Two packets of what we suspect to be illicit tobacco products
0:13:08 > 0:13:09which will be non-duty paid.
0:13:09 > 0:13:12This is kind of representative
0:13:12 > 0:13:15and a sample of the type of illicit tobacco product
0:13:15 > 0:13:17that HMRC is interested in today.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20The car park is being used as a stock room
0:13:20 > 0:13:25for nearby shops where the fake cigarettes are being sold.
0:13:25 > 0:13:26In one of the shops,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29the team has found even more suspected fakes.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33Packet of Mayfair here. Probably counterfeit. That's L&M.
0:13:33 > 0:13:38We suspect that... Well, that's not for the UK market. Simple as that.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Fake cigarettes may contain
0:13:40 > 0:13:43even more dangerous chemicals than genuine ones,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45and some don't self extinguish,
0:13:45 > 0:13:48meaning they could cause house fires.
0:13:48 > 0:13:52Many fakes look so convincing that they can be hard to identify,
0:13:52 > 0:13:54but having seen so many over the years,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Andy knows what to look for.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59It's the markings, really. You can see by some of the print.
0:13:59 > 0:14:03We'll get those formally checked when we get back to the office.
0:14:03 > 0:14:07Back in the car park, the tobacco dogs have found another vehicle
0:14:07 > 0:14:09thought to contain tobacco.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12We've gained access to the boot, and there, as you can see,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15looks to be a substantial amount of hand-rolling tobacco,
0:14:15 > 0:14:19which probably, we suspect, is counterfeit.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23I don't know how many tens and tens of packets are in there.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24So, that's obviously going to be seized.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27When the car has been fully searched,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29the enormous size of the haul becomes clear.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33From a public health point of view,
0:14:33 > 0:14:36we would have concerns about where this has come from
0:14:36 > 0:14:38and what dangerous chemicals may be in it.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42The evidence is mounting,
0:14:42 > 0:14:46and nearby, the officers have spotted a green van parked up
0:14:46 > 0:14:48that they'd like to take a closer look at.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50Stand back.
0:14:51 > 0:14:56This unassuming vehicle is actually a heavily-fortified mobile safe.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59It's the most secure the officers have seen so far.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03Just like a real safe, very hard to crack.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06As you can see, we're trying to gain entry to it at the minute.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08So, what we're just doing is we're just going to call
0:15:08 > 0:15:12for some assistance and make sure we get entry to it.
0:15:12 > 0:15:17The owner of the vehicle clearly doesn't want anyone getting inside.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21- Someone else want a go? - LAUGHTER
0:15:21 > 0:15:23After a battle with the door,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25the van is eventually forced to give up its secrets,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28and it's clear why it was so securely locked.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32So, what we've got here, opening this,
0:15:32 > 0:15:37is what we suspect to be counterfeit, illicit tobaccos.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41Obviously, several thousand in there.
0:15:41 > 0:15:42There's two of these,
0:15:42 > 0:15:44which we've just extracted from the back of this van
0:15:44 > 0:15:46that was clearly reinforced
0:15:46 > 0:15:50to prevent HMRC officers gaining easy access to it.
0:15:52 > 0:15:56The van was being used to store a huge number and variety
0:15:56 > 0:15:57of different tobacco products.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00- HE WHISTLES - Jeepers.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Wow. Bit of a Pandora's box here.
0:16:03 > 0:16:07The different fake cigarette brands just keep coming...
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- Excellent.- ..and coming.
0:16:10 > 0:16:14Regals, Gold Classics.
0:16:14 > 0:16:15A real mix.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17I don't think we've seen these before.
0:16:17 > 0:16:20The team is surprised by the range of fakes they've found
0:16:20 > 0:16:25and the lengths to which the criminals have gone to hide them.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Whoever's van this was, they've obviously been discerning
0:16:28 > 0:16:30to make sure that we're not going to break into it easily.
0:16:30 > 0:16:33I think the fact that it was reinforced says everything, really.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36When you see what was in the back of the van, you can see why.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40I mean, there's a substantial amount of suspected illicit tobacco here.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44So, for HMRC, it's a good result.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48It's clear that these criminals are making huge profits.
0:16:48 > 0:16:50This is one of the vehicles that we broke into earlier,
0:16:50 > 0:16:53found a substantial amount of hand-rolling tobacco in the boot.
0:16:53 > 0:16:56The officers have just now finished a search of the vehicle,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59but in the glove box, we've found some cash,
0:16:59 > 0:17:01which is approximately £2,000,
0:17:01 > 0:17:04so we're going to seize that under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
0:17:04 > 0:17:09The financial gains for the fakers are a huge loss for everyone else.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12These are suspected to be costing the UK economy
0:17:12 > 0:17:16about £2.1 billion every single year.
0:17:16 > 0:17:19But as a result of the operation that we've done here today
0:17:19 > 0:17:21and the type of thing HMRC does,
0:17:21 > 0:17:24we've halved the illicit trade market in recent years.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28Sellers of fake cigarettes thought they could get away
0:17:28 > 0:17:33with hiding their stock inside their cars, but it's backfired.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36Now they'll lose not only their goods but the cars too.
0:17:36 > 0:17:40And they haven't seen the last of the authorities.
0:17:40 > 0:17:41Today isn't a one-off.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45These type of actions by HMRC and our partners take place
0:17:45 > 0:17:47all over the country week in and week out,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50and we want to send a strong message to the public
0:17:50 > 0:17:52that we are actively cracking down
0:17:52 > 0:17:55on this kind of counterfeit and fraud.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58And it's not just HMRC that's seizing fake goods
0:17:58 > 0:18:00across the country.
0:18:00 > 0:18:04Coming up, we go behind closed doors with Trading Standards
0:18:04 > 0:18:07for an exclusive look at the fakes they've seized
0:18:07 > 0:18:09in just one year.
0:18:09 > 0:18:14This can actually lead to severe health problems like blindness.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16It could even cause a heart attack.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25Do you like my jumper?
0:18:25 > 0:18:28Well, wait till you take a look at the label.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30100% Cashmere.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Cashmere is one of the finest, softest, most luxurious fibres
0:18:33 > 0:18:36known to man and, not surprisingly, it costs a small fortune -
0:18:36 > 0:18:38hundreds of pounds for a jumper like this.
0:18:38 > 0:18:42But if you spent that sort of money on it, you would've been fleeced
0:18:42 > 0:18:47because despite what the label says, it's not 100% cashmere at all.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51It's not any amount of cashmere. It's a fake.
0:18:54 > 0:18:56Here on Fake Britain,
0:18:56 > 0:18:58we've seen Trading Standards and the police seize
0:18:58 > 0:19:00a lot of fake clothes.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04Wherever you look, Adidas.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06It's standard fare for the fakers.
0:19:06 > 0:19:07Whether it's designer labels,
0:19:07 > 0:19:10the latest sportswear or outdoor gear,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13if someone's buying it, the fakers are supplying it.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17Now the sellers of fake clothes
0:19:17 > 0:19:21have their sights on high-end fabrics.
0:19:21 > 0:19:23Fake Britain recently received a package
0:19:23 > 0:19:24from a member of the public.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Inside were two sweaters, branded as Polo Ralph Lauren.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33The label said they were both 100% cashmere,
0:19:33 > 0:19:35but the person who bought them was suspicious.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38So, we decided to investigate.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42First, we went to meet former BBC television presenter Selina Scott.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45After seeing the rise in demand for cashmere
0:19:45 > 0:19:47amongst the British public,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49she opened an ethical cashmere business
0:19:49 > 0:19:50from her farm in Yorkshire.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53When I worked on breakfast television many years ago,
0:19:53 > 0:19:57I used to wear cashmere in the morning because it was easy.
0:19:57 > 0:20:02And the cashmere jumpers I bought then, nearly 30 years ago,
0:20:02 > 0:20:05I still have, and they're still as good as new.
0:20:07 > 0:20:09Selina's cashmere has stood the test of time
0:20:09 > 0:20:12because it's high-quality, genuine cashmere
0:20:12 > 0:20:15that comes from the fluffy undercuts of cashmere goats,
0:20:15 > 0:20:16like these.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Cashmere is one of the softest fibres in the world,
0:20:19 > 0:20:20and it's not cheap.
0:20:20 > 0:20:24100% cashmere garments can retail for hundreds of pounds each,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28so it's no surprise that fakers want some of the profits.
0:20:29 > 0:20:32Because cashmere has got this reputation on the world market
0:20:32 > 0:20:37as being one of the most luxurious goods you can possibly buy,
0:20:37 > 0:20:39there's room for corruption.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43It's thought the market is being flooded with fake cashmere
0:20:43 > 0:20:47that's labelled as cashmere when it's anything but.
0:20:47 > 0:20:50It might contain only small amounts of cashmere,
0:20:50 > 0:20:53with the rest made up of much cheaper fibres.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55When you see cashmere in warehouses,
0:20:55 > 0:20:58you can see how a crafty middleman will go along and say,
0:20:58 > 0:21:00"We can mix that with something like yak."
0:21:00 > 0:21:01It looks similar.
0:21:01 > 0:21:06Put it in, mix it all up and then marked 100% cashmere.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11Some cashmere is even labelled as 100% cashmere
0:21:11 > 0:21:14when it contains no cashmere fibres at all.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16But in some cases,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18the fibres have been revealed to be something
0:21:18 > 0:21:20that would make your skin crawl.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24In Italy, the authorities uncovered a huge business
0:21:24 > 0:21:28selling fake cashmere garments that contained rat fur.
0:21:28 > 0:21:3114 people were arrested
0:21:31 > 0:21:34and more than a million fake items were seized.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37You hear about rat fur being mixed up with cashmere.
0:21:37 > 0:21:39I mean, imagine putting that on.
0:21:39 > 0:21:43Imagine, you know, wrapping that round your head and going off.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45It just doesn't bear thinking about.
0:21:47 > 0:21:50We wanted to see how easy it might be to buy fake cashmere
0:21:50 > 0:21:54so we went to an online retailer and bought a scarf advertised
0:21:54 > 0:21:58as 100% cashmere for around £30 -
0:21:58 > 0:22:01the sort of price some high street shops
0:22:01 > 0:22:03sell the fabric for at the lower end.
0:22:03 > 0:22:08We then took the scarf to cashmere industry expert James Sugden,
0:22:08 > 0:22:11here surrounded by genuine cashmere.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13I'd be nervous about it.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16The finish that I would look at is very clean.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18There's not much top surface to it,
0:22:18 > 0:22:20which is generally a characteristic of cashmere.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24"100% cashmere."
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Yes, well, I would be very suspicious.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28If it was cashmere,
0:22:28 > 0:22:31I would expect it to be rather more luxurious than this.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34James suspects our cashmere scarf
0:22:34 > 0:22:38might not contain any of the luxury fibre at all.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41With cashmere costing up to ten times the price of wool,
0:22:41 > 0:22:44it's little wonder that some criminals are making a business
0:22:44 > 0:22:49out of passing off cheaper fabrics as something of much higher quality.
0:22:49 > 0:22:56The temptation for our manufacturer in China to dilute or tamper
0:22:56 > 0:22:58with a blend is considerable,
0:22:58 > 0:23:00because the rewards in terms of the value
0:23:00 > 0:23:04of putting some other fibre with cashmere is considerable.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07There's only one way to find out if our scarf
0:23:07 > 0:23:09and the sweaters sent in by one of our viewers
0:23:09 > 0:23:12are actually made of cashmere.
0:23:12 > 0:23:13We need to get them tested,
0:23:13 > 0:23:16so today we've brought all the garments
0:23:16 > 0:23:20to textile and fibres expert Dr Phil Greaves.
0:23:20 > 0:23:22He'll examine clippings of the clothing
0:23:22 > 0:23:26under a powerful microscope to see what they're really made of.
0:23:26 > 0:23:27First, he looks at the scarf.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31In order to test the scarf and see which fibres are present,
0:23:31 > 0:23:34I need to shred the fibres into short lengths
0:23:34 > 0:23:36and spread them out on a slide.
0:23:38 > 0:23:41Cashmere fibres should look like this,
0:23:41 > 0:23:44with a very particular pattern of ribs and scales on the outside,
0:23:44 > 0:23:47and that's what James is looking for.
0:23:47 > 0:23:48But under the microscope,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52our scarf's true nature is soon revealed.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56I'm finding wool and silk. I'm not finding any cashmere.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59Those are the only two fibres I can find.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03Most of these fibres are smooth.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Fake Britain has managed to buy fake cashmere.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08The label said 100% cashmere,
0:24:08 > 0:24:10so that's what you'd expect it to be made of,
0:24:10 > 0:24:12but there's no cashmere in it.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16Next, Dr Greaves tests the two jumpers that were sent in
0:24:16 > 0:24:19by a Fake Britain viewer.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22Under the microscope, it's not looking good.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25I can tell it's not cashmere. It's not an animal fibre.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27It's a man-made fibre.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30The garment is made of 100% acrylic.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32There's no cashmere in there at all.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36All three of the items described as 100% cashmere
0:24:36 > 0:24:40contain absolutely no cashmere whatsoever,
0:24:40 > 0:24:44and Ralph Lauren confirmed that they did not make the two jumpers.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46The labels were fake.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49We showed the results to James Sugden.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51I travelled the world, I travelled the markets.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53I look all the time at garments.
0:24:53 > 0:24:55I'm constantly touching and feeling garments,
0:24:55 > 0:24:58and I see this and it really incenses me
0:24:58 > 0:25:01because what's at stake here is an industry.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03There's jobs at stake.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05It's the integrity of the industry
0:25:05 > 0:25:07and it's something that we shall go on fighting for
0:25:07 > 0:25:10because this has to be stopped.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12We took to the streets to see what shoppers thought
0:25:12 > 0:25:15of our fake cashmere.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19Wow. So, this is fake cashmere.
0:25:19 > 0:25:22I would never say it's not cashmere. If you're telling me it's cashmere,
0:25:22 > 0:25:24- I'd be like, "OK, cool. It's cashmere."- Yeah.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26It could be a completely fake label,
0:25:26 > 0:25:31but I would've been taken in by the label, I believe.
0:25:31 > 0:25:32I don't like lies.
0:25:32 > 0:25:35I don't like being told something and it's not.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37It kind of makes you think within the market as well
0:25:37 > 0:25:40how many of those clothes are actually cashmere when it says...
0:25:40 > 0:25:43- Yeah.- ..when it says they are.- When it says it's cashmere but it's not.
0:25:43 > 0:25:45I think it's pretty appalling.
0:25:45 > 0:25:47Someone's going to pay more for it
0:25:47 > 0:25:50if they're going to get a special present for someone or themselves,
0:25:50 > 0:25:51might've saved up for it,
0:25:51 > 0:25:53and they've just been left short-changed.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56For people like Selina who are in the cashmere business,
0:25:56 > 0:25:59the fakes are bad news all round.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01It's a con. It's a scam. That's all it is.
0:26:01 > 0:26:02It's not good for the consumer,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04it's certainly not good for the herder,
0:26:04 > 0:26:08so fake cashmere altogether is just a no-no.
0:26:14 > 0:26:16ICE CREAM VAN MUSIC PLAYS
0:26:16 > 0:26:17That is the sound of summer -
0:26:17 > 0:26:20a local ice cream van announcing its arrival
0:26:20 > 0:26:22for lots of hot and happy customers.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24I've got mine already, and this is real.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27Selling ice creams from a van can be good business,
0:26:27 > 0:26:30but the vans themselves are also big business.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32A new one costs around 60 grand,
0:26:32 > 0:26:36so it's no surprise the fakers want a scoop of the profits.
0:26:36 > 0:26:37Yes, believe it or not,
0:26:37 > 0:26:42they've even been faking our beloved ice cream vans.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Have you bought your cone from a con van?
0:26:44 > 0:26:48ICE CREAM VAN MUSIC PLAYS
0:26:48 > 0:26:52It's a sound that transports many of us back to our childhoods -
0:26:52 > 0:26:56the music from an ice cream van that will serve up a Mr Whippy,
0:26:56 > 0:26:58Cornetto or whatever else takes your fancy.
0:27:01 > 0:27:02Anything else?
0:27:02 > 0:27:06There are now around 5,000 ice cream vans like this across the country,
0:27:06 > 0:27:10putting smiles and ice cream on our faces.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14But 90% of them are built by just one British company -
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Whitby Morrison of Crewe.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21The company was founded back in 1962 by Bryan Whitby.
0:27:21 > 0:27:23From humble beginnings,
0:27:23 > 0:27:25the company is now the largest manufacturer
0:27:25 > 0:27:29of ice cream vans in the UK, and it employs around 50 workers.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34And then on to this one, which is ready.
0:27:34 > 0:27:36Whitby Morrison is a family affair,
0:27:36 > 0:27:41with Bryan Whitby's son Stuart and grandson Ed now behind the wheel.
0:27:41 > 0:27:44From 1960, classic British heritage,
0:27:44 > 0:27:46to the modern fleet that people use today.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49It's just ice cream vans - we love them.
0:27:50 > 0:27:54And this is their flagship van - the Mondial.
0:27:54 > 0:27:56Bristling with technology,
0:27:56 > 0:27:57it has a distinctive fibreglass shell
0:27:57 > 0:28:00built onto a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van chassis.
0:28:00 > 0:28:02This one is due to go at the beginning of next week.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07Managing Director Stuart is proud of what the company has achieved.
0:28:07 > 0:28:09I joined the company in 1978,
0:28:09 > 0:28:12and basically I set out to build the Rolls-Royce of ice cream vans.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14That's what we're about,
0:28:14 > 0:28:18and Whitby Morrison is renowned as the very best vans out there.
0:28:18 > 0:28:20We just want to do simply the best.
0:28:20 > 0:28:21All in all, it sounds like
0:28:21 > 0:28:24a great British manufacturing success story,
0:28:24 > 0:28:26and business was going brilliantly
0:28:26 > 0:28:32until the day Operations Manager Ed was visited by some new customers.
0:28:32 > 0:28:3460 years old.
0:28:34 > 0:28:35We were contacted by a customer
0:28:35 > 0:28:38suggesting that they'd like to purchase the Mondial,
0:28:38 > 0:28:41our most popular model by a long, long way.
0:28:41 > 0:28:44He came to see us, placed the order, and thought,
0:28:44 > 0:28:46"Great. That's another one to add the schedule
0:28:46 > 0:28:50"and a great opportunity to produce another fantastic van."
0:28:50 > 0:28:54With a brand-new Mondial ice cream van costing over £60,000,
0:28:54 > 0:28:56the customers wanted to save money
0:28:56 > 0:28:59by providing their own van for Whitby Morrison
0:28:59 > 0:29:03to convert into one of their own unique fibreglass designs.
0:29:03 > 0:29:06They brought a Mercedes panel van for us convert,
0:29:06 > 0:29:07which is a big job.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10It's a fibreglass body, refrigeration,
0:29:10 > 0:29:11all sorts of work involved.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13And we built it, as we do,
0:29:13 > 0:29:17and they came along a couple of times and checked it during build
0:29:17 > 0:29:18and they took it away to Leeds.
0:29:18 > 0:29:22But not long after the clients left with their new van,
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Stuart and Ed began to hear some dark rumours
0:29:24 > 0:29:28about the true nature of their new customers.
0:29:28 > 0:29:30We were tipped off by a couple of people within the industry
0:29:30 > 0:29:33saying, "You do know that these people are looking
0:29:33 > 0:29:36"to purchase this van with a view to producing their own copies?"
0:29:36 > 0:29:39I thought, "No. Can't be possible."
0:29:39 > 0:29:42So, we approached the customer about it, invited them in for a meeting,
0:29:42 > 0:29:44said, "Look, we've heard these rumours.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46"We wouldn't expect that to be the case."
0:29:46 > 0:29:48"Oh, no, no. We wouldn't do anything of the kind.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51"We're just humble ice cream men. We just want to sell ice cream."
0:29:51 > 0:29:54But soon, Ed began to receive some worrying photographs
0:29:54 > 0:29:58of ice cream vans for sale on social media.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03We began to receive images from various people within the industry,
0:30:03 > 0:30:05and it turned out that these images posted
0:30:05 > 0:30:07were a blatant copy of a Whitby Morrison van.
0:30:07 > 0:30:12Whitby Morrison are all for a bit of healthy competition,
0:30:12 > 0:30:15but not when it comes to the faking of their vans,
0:30:15 > 0:30:20so they hired leading intellectual property lawyer Patrick Tedstone.
0:30:20 > 0:30:25In our business, you see all kinds of fake manufacture undertaken,
0:30:25 > 0:30:28but I don't think we'd ever seen something manufactured
0:30:28 > 0:30:31as a fake as large as these ice cream vans were.
0:30:33 > 0:30:34Patrick started to investigate
0:30:34 > 0:30:38how vans that looked very much like Whitby Morrison vans
0:30:38 > 0:30:41were being sold on social media.
0:30:41 > 0:30:45The primary method that the fakers had to sell these vans
0:30:45 > 0:30:47was people invited to join chatrooms
0:30:47 > 0:30:51to look at vans and to place orders.
0:30:51 > 0:30:55The next step was to find out where the ice cream vans
0:30:55 > 0:30:57were being made, so Patrick put together a team
0:30:57 > 0:31:00to track down the figures.
0:31:00 > 0:31:03When we got there, we could see lots of activity -
0:31:03 > 0:31:08ice cream vans coming and going and work going on.
0:31:08 > 0:31:12And we were really surprised by the level of the operation.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17The surveillance team kept a close eye on the premises,
0:31:17 > 0:31:19hoping to gather evidence that would prove
0:31:19 > 0:31:22that Whitby Morrison vans were being faked.
0:31:22 > 0:31:28A car was parked across the street and fitted with hidden cameras.
0:31:28 > 0:31:31But one day, the car went missing.
0:31:32 > 0:31:35There was just some glass on the pavement.
0:31:35 > 0:31:36We didn't know what had happened.
0:31:36 > 0:31:39The car turned up four days later. It had been trashed.
0:31:39 > 0:31:42The cameras were stolen. All the equipment was taken.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44We don't know who damaged the car,
0:31:44 > 0:31:47but it seemed like we had a real fight on our hands.
0:31:47 > 0:31:49We had to be careful with what we were doing.
0:31:49 > 0:31:51We had to be cautious about our approach,
0:31:51 > 0:31:53but we needed more information.
0:31:53 > 0:31:56Patrick's investigation team turned to photographic evidence
0:31:56 > 0:31:59to continue building their case.
0:31:59 > 0:32:02Fortunately, we had a private investigator on the scene
0:32:02 > 0:32:04and he took some detailed photographs.
0:32:04 > 0:32:06From that moment onwards,
0:32:06 > 0:32:09we could tell this was an exact copy.
0:32:09 > 0:32:11But how had the fakers done it?
0:32:11 > 0:32:13Creating the fibreglass shell of an ice cream van
0:32:13 > 0:32:15is a highly specialised job,
0:32:15 > 0:32:19and Whitby Morrison have worked hard to make sure their vans are safe.
0:32:19 > 0:32:21This is the beginning of the production process.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24This is the fibreglass moulding workshop.
0:32:24 > 0:32:28This is where all the vehicle bodies begin, lids, doors, water tanks.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30Fibreglass is poured into special moulds
0:32:30 > 0:32:33that give the van its final shape.
0:32:33 > 0:32:37A mould can take over six months and cost tens of thousands of pounds
0:32:37 > 0:32:39to develop from scratch.
0:32:39 > 0:32:42It's much easier and cheaper to copy one,
0:32:42 > 0:32:45even if there's no guarantee that they'll be as safe as the originals,
0:32:45 > 0:32:49and that's just what the fakers did.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53This is the Mondial mould that was copied by the defendants.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Every little detail was copied.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58You see the veins within the side,
0:32:58 > 0:33:00the recesses at the rear for the number plate,
0:33:00 > 0:33:05for the lights within the roof, the space for the ventilation,
0:33:05 > 0:33:07the styling features.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10The fakers had copied the original Whitby Morrison design
0:33:10 > 0:33:12to the nearest millimetre.
0:33:12 > 0:33:17This is the most blatant example of one of the fake components.
0:33:17 > 0:33:21Absolutely everything here was reproduced identically,
0:33:21 > 0:33:24from the leatherette pattern to the number of diamonds
0:33:24 > 0:33:26featured down the centre.
0:33:26 > 0:33:28But the fakers hadn't just copied the design
0:33:28 > 0:33:31of the genuine Whitby Morrison vans.
0:33:31 > 0:33:34They even cashed in on the famous Whitby Morrison name.
0:33:34 > 0:33:37But when you combine the copying
0:33:37 > 0:33:39and you use the real manufacturer's name,
0:33:39 > 0:33:42then you're giving the product cachet and value
0:33:42 > 0:33:45both in the new market and in the second-hand market.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48And what these defendants were doing beyond any doubt
0:33:48 > 0:33:52was they were saying, "This is a Whitby Morrison van."
0:33:52 > 0:33:54The fakers were doing a roaring trade,
0:33:54 > 0:33:58selling the fans as fast as they could make them.
0:33:58 > 0:34:03We have evidence the defendants sold at least 30 fake vans.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06That equates to up to £2 million of fake vans sold.
0:34:06 > 0:34:09£2 million is a huge amount of money,
0:34:09 > 0:34:14even for a successful manufacturer like Whitby Morrison to bear.
0:34:14 > 0:34:16It wasn't just huge financial loss
0:34:16 > 0:34:18that Ed and Stuart Whitby had to contend with.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20There were real concerns
0:34:20 > 0:34:23about the safety of the fake vans out there.
0:34:23 > 0:34:26The fibreglass panels of an original Whitby Morrison van
0:34:26 > 0:34:28are rigorously safety tested.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31They're made to an approved European standard.
0:34:31 > 0:34:36And it was when one concerned customer contacted Whitby Morrison
0:34:36 > 0:34:40that the true danger of the fake ice cream vans became apparent.
0:34:40 > 0:34:41We had one van back here
0:34:41 > 0:34:43that had been built by the defendants,
0:34:43 > 0:34:46and the quality of workmanship was shocking.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50You know, potentially a safety hazard going down the road.
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Patrick finally had enough evidence to bring a High Court civil case
0:34:54 > 0:34:58against the Rubani family who'd been selling the fake ice cream vans
0:34:58 > 0:35:01through their company, Yorkshire Specialist Vehicles.
0:35:01 > 0:35:04The judge presiding over the case wanted to see the fakery
0:35:04 > 0:35:07with his own eyes.
0:35:07 > 0:35:10When you looked at the vans side-by-side,
0:35:10 > 0:35:12they were so obviously identical
0:35:12 > 0:35:14there was no way out for the defendants.
0:35:14 > 0:35:17They couldn't deny it any longer. They had to admit what they'd done.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21The court ruled that Yorkshire Specialist Vehicles
0:35:21 > 0:35:25had infringed the design and trademark of Whitby Morrison.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28They were ordered to pay £300,000
0:35:28 > 0:35:33and to return the moulds they'd used to make the fake vans.
0:35:33 > 0:35:34But that didn't happen.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39This is what was returned.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43They told the court that the van had been stolen
0:35:43 > 0:35:45and had been burned out by a third party.
0:35:45 > 0:35:50All we can say is that the engine from the van had been removed
0:35:50 > 0:35:53and the expensive ice cream machinery had also been removed
0:35:53 > 0:35:55before it was burnt out.
0:35:55 > 0:35:57We don't know what the truth was.
0:35:57 > 0:35:59Since the court case,
0:35:59 > 0:36:02Whitby Morrison have agreed to work with ice cream sellers
0:36:02 > 0:36:05who bought fake vans by issuing them licenses
0:36:05 > 0:36:08that make the vans legitimate.
0:36:08 > 0:36:10They've also managed to get hold of the moulds
0:36:10 > 0:36:12that were used to make the fakes.
0:36:12 > 0:36:16Today, they're being destroyed to make sure no fake ice cream vans
0:36:16 > 0:36:18can ever serve another ice cream.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21ICE CREAM VAN MUSIC PLAYS
0:36:30 > 0:36:32Earlier on Fake Britain,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35we saw how HMRC, Trading Standards and the police
0:36:35 > 0:36:39are making major seizures of fake goods in Manchester.
0:36:39 > 0:36:42Looks to be a substantial amount of counterfeit, illicit tobaccos.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45And we've seen how Trading Standards in other parts of the country
0:36:45 > 0:36:49are seizing fake goods in huge quantities.
0:36:49 > 0:36:54But we wanted to find out more about the scale of the problem.
0:36:54 > 0:36:58How much can a Trading Standards team seize in just one year?
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Near Bristol, there's a secret lock-up.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06It's contents - highly valuable evidence in hundreds of court cases
0:37:06 > 0:37:09against some major crime gangs.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12Francis Chalk from Bristol Trading Standards
0:37:12 > 0:37:14has agreed to let us in.
0:37:14 > 0:37:16So, here we are in our warehouse.
0:37:16 > 0:37:18It's a secret location for the obvious reason that
0:37:18 > 0:37:20it's stuffed full of counterfeit goods.
0:37:24 > 0:37:28We've got counterfeits and fakes of every description.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30Clothes, shoes.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32We've got cosmetics.
0:37:32 > 0:37:34We've got cigarettes. There's alcohol.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38There's fake toothbrushes. There's fake razor blades.
0:37:38 > 0:37:41You name it, we've got a fake of it.
0:37:42 > 0:37:46Here, under one roof, are the spoils of a thriving industry
0:37:46 > 0:37:48in fake goods.
0:37:48 > 0:37:52Everything in here put together is worth well over a million pounds.
0:37:52 > 0:37:55We've taken a million pounds of fakes off the streets.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00One million pounds worth of fakes seized in just one year.
0:38:00 > 0:38:04Many of them are a serious threat to public health.
0:38:04 > 0:38:07So, what we've got here are fake GHD hair straighteners.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11They're one of the most popular items that we find faked.
0:38:11 > 0:38:13Quite often, we find that these products
0:38:13 > 0:38:15either don't have fuses in them
0:38:15 > 0:38:17or the fuses that are in them are fake,
0:38:17 > 0:38:20which means that the plug will heat up,
0:38:20 > 0:38:23potentially burst into flames, and this could cause a house fire.
0:38:24 > 0:38:27Fakers are increasingly looking at making money out of medicines,
0:38:27 > 0:38:30but with fake drugs, like this fake Viagra,
0:38:30 > 0:38:32there's no way of telling
0:38:32 > 0:38:34what you're actually putting in your body.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36The very unusual thing about this product, though,
0:38:36 > 0:38:39is it's got too much of the active ingredient in it.
0:38:39 > 0:38:44This can actually lead to severe health problems, like blindness.
0:38:44 > 0:38:47It could even cause a heart attack.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51There's been a huge increase in the number of people
0:38:51 > 0:38:53buying prescription medication online,
0:38:53 > 0:38:56but patients can't be sure what they're getting
0:38:56 > 0:39:00and that means they're taking serious risks with their health.
0:39:00 > 0:39:03Recently, an international operation to stop sellers of fake drugs
0:39:03 > 0:39:06resulted in 10,000 websites being taken down
0:39:06 > 0:39:08and 200 people arrested.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13There's been cases of fake diazepam in Scotland recently
0:39:13 > 0:39:15where two people actually died.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Trading Standards also seized
0:39:19 > 0:39:22thousands of these fake razor blades,
0:39:22 > 0:39:27shipped in from abroad and destined for unsuspecting shoppers in the UK.
0:39:27 > 0:39:29These are part of a consignment
0:39:29 > 0:39:32that was seized from customs up in Coventry,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35so a lot of the items that were coming in from overseas,
0:39:35 > 0:39:38such as China, go into that hub.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42And customs were looking specifically for these products
0:39:42 > 0:39:46and they found literally tens of thousands of them.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48The fakers have employed some clever tactics
0:39:48 > 0:39:51to get their stock past the customs officials.
0:39:51 > 0:39:53In this case, they shipped the fake Jo Malone toiletries
0:39:53 > 0:39:57into the country in boxes with other brand names on them
0:39:57 > 0:40:00in order to avoid detection.
0:40:00 > 0:40:04Once inside the UK, the fakers can then finish the job.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08They've come into the country in this box,
0:40:08 > 0:40:10and what's happened is in the UK
0:40:10 > 0:40:14someone has then just taken a sticker
0:40:14 > 0:40:18and put it over the top to make this look like this.
0:40:18 > 0:40:21Fake cosmetics cost the beauty industry
0:40:21 > 0:40:23over £200,000 million a year,
0:40:23 > 0:40:26and when you take the fake goods industry as a whole,
0:40:26 > 0:40:27the figures are staggering.
0:40:27 > 0:40:33The fakes cost the UK economy at least £1.3 billion every year.
0:40:33 > 0:40:35Worldwide, the trade is estimated
0:40:35 > 0:40:38to be worth something like £1.5 trillion,
0:40:38 > 0:40:41and it's getting harder and harder to stop.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44Francis has been fighting the fakers for years,
0:40:44 > 0:40:47long enough to see how they've evolved.
0:40:47 > 0:40:49Years ago, when I started,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52we were dealing with people in car-boot sales
0:40:52 > 0:40:55flogging dodgy DVDs out of the back of their vans and cars.
0:40:55 > 0:40:56They were really easy to spot.
0:40:56 > 0:40:59These days, it's virtually impossible.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02This storage facility is just one of many
0:41:02 > 0:41:05used by Trading Standards teams across the country
0:41:05 > 0:41:07to house their seizures.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10150 miles away in Cornwall,
0:41:10 > 0:41:14there's another lock-up full of yet more fakes.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17Trading Standards officer Gary Webster is on hand to show us
0:41:17 > 0:41:21what his team has seized in the last year.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25This is a huge stack of goods that we seized recently.
0:41:25 > 0:41:29Fake car badges. There's fake toys.
0:41:29 > 0:41:31Fake remote controls.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35All sorts of different products that were being sold online
0:41:35 > 0:41:37and being distributed throughout the world.
0:41:37 > 0:41:41We estimate that it's in the region of 90,000 items that were seized.
0:41:41 > 0:41:46We reckon that it may have made the counterfeiters over £2 million,
0:41:46 > 0:41:49and obviously investigations are still ongoing to exactly
0:41:49 > 0:41:50the full extent of the supply chain.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54Fakers follow consumer trends closely,
0:41:54 > 0:41:57and they're quick to react when a new design or gadget
0:41:57 > 0:41:59becomes popular with shoppers.
0:41:59 > 0:42:01There's a huge amount of fake products,
0:42:01 > 0:42:04and the brands and the types of products are changing all the time
0:42:04 > 0:42:07to keep up with the latest fashions and crazes.
0:42:07 > 0:42:09We see huge changes in the toys.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11What's popular one month
0:42:11 > 0:42:14can soon go out of fashion and something else pops along.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16The fakers are also into their films.
0:42:18 > 0:42:21OK, so, every time we see a new movie,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24we see a real increase in the amount of fraudulent items on sale,
0:42:24 > 0:42:26particularly those that appeal to children.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30I have some from the Despicable Me franchise
0:42:30 > 0:42:32and Disney's Frozen as well.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35Fake film merchandise has been found to be poorly made
0:42:35 > 0:42:37and potentially dangerous for children.
0:42:37 > 0:42:39As we've seen on Fake Britain,
0:42:39 > 0:42:42six-year-old Bethany Stodden was scarred for life
0:42:42 > 0:42:46after her cheek was sliced open by a fake Frozen wristband,
0:42:46 > 0:42:48and some fake branded clothes
0:42:48 > 0:42:51have been found to be highly flammable.
0:42:51 > 0:42:52As a father myself, you know,
0:42:52 > 0:42:55I'd be very keen to ensure that my children were safe
0:42:55 > 0:42:58in their clothing and stuff that I'd bought for them.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01With fakes, you've got no guarantees of the production method.
0:43:01 > 0:43:04You don't know what materials they've used and you really are
0:43:04 > 0:43:08putting your children's lives at risk if you buy fakes.
0:43:15 > 0:43:17That's all from Fake Britain. Goodbye.