‘Fake designer trainers’ seized at crossing points

CUSTOMS officials at the British Sovereign Base Area (SBA) of Dhekelia have seized a number of fake designer trainers from people attempting to sneak them in from the TRNC.

Mark Hartley, head of SBA Customs and Immigration in Dhekelia, told the Cyprus Lion, a monthly newspaper produced and edited on the British bases, that some individuals have been attempting to “exploit the counterfeit market in the Turkish Controlled Areas”.

He said: “Whilst commercial quantities of counterfeit footwear have previously been detected and seized at the crossing points, many of the recent seizures are opportunistic individuals who are looking for a cheap deal.

“With an ever-increasing cost of living, travellers are looking to exploit the prevalent counterfeit market in the north to purchase designer goods at a reduced cost.”

Mr Hartley said the production of “fake Nike, Adidas and Armani trainers” can also be linked to something “far more sinister” than saving money, noting that the estimated value of the global counterfeited goods market makes up around seven per cent of annual world trade, or some $600 billion.

He added that this illicit trade is “heavily controlled by organised crime groups with links to money laundering and corruption”.