£77,000 and counterfeiting equipment seized in Belfast

By Richard O'Reilly

£77,000 in cash as well as mobile phones, set top boxes and computer equipment have been seized by police in Belfast.

It followed the searches of two homes and two businesses in North and West Belfast yesterday. 

The PSNI says it was part of an ongoing investigation into intellectual property theft (counterfeiting).  The operation was carried out in cooperation with FACT – a UK intellectual property protection organisation.

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Reid, who leads on PSNI’s Intellectual Property Crime, said: “People think these are victimless crimes and wonder what harm it does to buy fake goods or pirated services."

Detectives seize equipment and money following searcheshttps://t.co/tc8CzrlkN6

— PSNI West Belfast (@PSNIBelfastW) February 23, 2017

He continued "It is not harmless and there are real victims as a consequence of people’s actions in buying such products such as inadvertently supporting organised crime gangs and criminals through what might seem harmless purchases".

Police say it demonstrates their ongoing commitment to disrupting crimes involving 'copyright, counterfeiting and piracy.'