Almost £100,000 worth of counterfeit football shirts intercepted as Police Now officer tackles Euros 2024 crime
Thursday 28th November 2024
Trainee Detective Constable Blaine Pearce was shortlisted for Student Officer of the Year in the City of London Police Force Awards, for his role in targeting the sale and distribution of counterfeit football shirts in the lead up to and during the Euros 2024.
Counterfeit goods often fund other criminal activity and serious crime such as forced labour, modern slavery, money laundering and drug operations. It can cause harm to legitimate businesses, exploit workers and loyal fans, and is thought to be one of the largest sources of criminal income worldwide.
As the Officer in Case (OIC) of the operation, Blaine coordinated search warrants across the country, which resulted in around £100,000 worth of counterfeit football shirts being seized and eight suspects arrested. He briefed officers from several European nations at Europol in The Hague as part of the operation and further worked with the Premier League, Border Force, the Intellectual Property Office, Trading Standards and sporting brands. Blaine also co-delivered a presentation about the operation at an annual Premier League conference – ‘Football Against Fakes’ – at the London Stadium in October, attended by a range of stakeholders in the industry.
Blaine is a student officer on Police Now’s National Detective Programme, which recruits, trains and supports talented graduates to become qualified detectives and outstanding frontline investigators in two years.
He said: “Counterfeiting goods seems like a victimless crime at first glance, but you soon realise it often involves people being exploited, both in the UK and overseas, results in losses to the UK economy and is invariably linked to serious organised crime. Being able to make an impact in this area whilst training on Police Now’s programme has been a real privilege. I am most grateful to my brilliant colleagues in Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) and wider network for all the guidance, support and trust they’ve given me to achieve this nomination.”
Whilst working in PIPCU, Blaine has also been the OIC of another operation, leading large teams of officers to execute multiple warrants in an area well-known for the distribution of counterfeit goods. These resulted in the arrests of four suspects and the seizure of almost 20,000 counterfeit items including designer clothing, accessories and perfumes, and £25,000 in cash.
T/Detective Chief Inspector Emma Warbey said: “From the start, TDC Pearce has been an exceptionally capable and hard-working officer. He has gone from strength to strength in his investigation work, is always professional, dedicated and committed.
“In my opinion and experience, not many trainee detective constables would be able to take on such huge operations and obtain such excellent results.
“TDC Pearce always volunteers for other duties around the force, further demonstrating his commitment to policing. He really is a joy to have as part of our team and we value his positive attitude and genuinely exceptional work. He is shortly due to continue his training in other areas of the force under Police Now’s programme, which I know he will take on with vigour and commitment.”
Blaine was shortlisted in the Student Officer of the Year category at the City of London Police Force Awards, which were presented by T/Assistant Commissioner Nik Adams at a ceremony on Friday 22nd November.
Blaine was recruited to the force via Police Now – a charity that partners with forces across England and Wales to deliver its two-year training programmes and develop brilliant frontline officers and detectives. Police Now has partnered with 36 forces and recruited over 3,000 officers to the service, with a mission to transform communities, reduce crime, and build public confidence in policing.
Notes to editors:
- The estimated value of goods seized during the counterfeit football shirts operation was £98,300.
