Six people have been arrested after police seized more than £1million worth of counterfeit clothing and trainers from TikTok shop influencers.
Police found almost 27,000 fake items in a Rotherham warehouse raided on April 1, enough to fill four 18-tonne lorries.
During the raid officers found a TikTokker selling the goods – which included £115,000 worth of fake socks and £988,700 of counterfeit branded trainers – on a livestream.
TikTok shop accounts using influencers to push fake products often livestream from warehouse-style setups, displaying large amounts of stock and claiming it as genuine, according to City of London Police.
The force said such content was aimed at driving rapid sales through the app.
Some 26,849 items were seized from the warehouse with a combined value of £1,162,036.
Police found a commission scheme rewarded influencers for every item sold during their livestreams.
Following the Rotherham raid five men and one woman – aged between 21 and 47 – were arrested on suspicion of distributing goods bearing false trademarks under the Trademarks Act 1994.
Six people were arrested for selling counterfeit goods via a TikTok livestream from a Rotherham warehouse
Police said the livestreams aimed to drive rapid sales through the app by using influencers to promote fake goods
Detective Sergeant Jamie Kirk, of the force’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit, said: ‘This investigation shows how the sale of counterfeit goods has evolved, moving from traditional market stalls to modern apps and online marketplaces.
‘In this case, influencers were used to promote and sell counterfeit products to large audiences.
‘This case should send a clear message to anybody selling counterfeit goods online: it is illegal and we will take action.’
The force added counterfeit clothing was unlikely to meet health and safety regulations, both in quality and worker conditions.
Consumers could be left with items that wear out quickly and are of poorer quality than genuine products.
All six of those arrested were released under investigation.
