Representative image of official merchandise for sale.
Credit: Reuters Photo
Masrid: Spanish police have seized 11 metric tonnes of fake soccer jerseys to be sold in Spain in the run-up to Saturday's Champions League final in London between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund and the Euro 2024 in Germany next month.
A search of 15 heavy lorries had produced the haul of jerseys along with other fake products such as luxury watches, leather goods and electronics, with an estimated market value of more than six million euros ($6.50 million), according to a statement on Friday.
The investigation started in April, when two tonnes of counterfeit shirts of Spanish football clubs sent from China were seized.
Police found out that a large shipment was bound for Spain before the Champions League final and the Euro finals, and set up a sting operation involving more than 20 agents.
They seized more than 36,500 fake sports kits of several Spanish and European soccer clubs emblazoned with names of top footballers such as Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, France's Kylian Mbappe, and a number of Spanish stars.
The counterfeits were intended for several organisations based in Spain that were planning to distribute them through street commerce and online.
($1 = 0.9228 euros)