Six people were arrested by City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit following an operation targeting TikTok Shop influencers, with officers seizing over £1M worth of counterfeit clothing and trainers from a warehouse in Rotherham. Officers raided the warehouse and discovered a suspect actively livestreaming on TikTok while selling illicit goods, with 26,849 counterfeit items taken from a single location and the items filling four 18-ton lorries. Police also uncovered £1M worth of clothing and trainers believed to be stolen, and the investigation revealed a commission scheme that rewarded influencers with higher earnings for every item sold during their livestreams. Detective Sergeant Jamie Kirk from PIPCU said in a statement that “this case should send a clear message to anybody selling counterfeit goods online: it is illegal and we will take action.”
