TORONTO — Police in Toronto said Monday they recovered the largest batch of counterfeit soccer merchandise in Canadian history, seizing more than C$3.5 million worth of goods from a warehouse in nearby Mississauga.
Officers confiscated over 16,000 imitation jerseys and flags bearing fraudulent FIFA, Nike, Adidas and Puma marks, along with two fake World Cup trophies, police said. Two men were arrested and charged after an investigation triggered by a May complaint to the Toronto Police Service FIFA Planning Team Investigative Unit alleging the suspects were distributing counterfeit products to retailers.
Toronto, which will host six World Cup matches and expects more than 300,000 visitors for the tournament, is preparing for an influx of fans as Canada plays its opener June 12. Police said the seized items have an estimated street value of C$3,564,000.