Faux iPhones, AirPods and iPhone instances had been amongst counterfeit items seized in police raids in Northern Eire.
It seems that counterfeiting Apple units shouldn’t be confined to the US. On Thursday 28 March, 2024, the Police Service of Northern Eire (PSNI) seized over 20,000 counterfeit units in two associated raids throughout Belfast and 30 miles away in Portadown.
In accordance with BBC Information, PSNI spokesperson Detective Sergeant Mason did not reveal what quantity of the products seized had been copies of Apple merchandise. The number of objects seen in police pictures look like predominantly Apple fakes, although.
PSNI did say that objects included counterfeit iPhones, AirPods, and unspecified smartwatches, cellphones, and chargers.
“Collectively the merchandise symbolize an estimated model lack of 600,000 to Apple and different excessive road manufacturers,” stated DS Mason. The officer cautioned that criminals will “try to repeat something,” and stated that such faux items typically fund organized crime.
A 24-year-old man was arrested after the Portadown raid, however reportedly up to now on suspicion of immigration offences, quite than essentially the counterfeiting.
DS Mason stated that the Belfast and Portadown raids adopted ones in England’s East Midlands area. Individually, a restore agency in that space was fined virtually $150,000 in 2021, for promoting counterfeit Apple chargers.