Police have raided a shop in Haslemere, uncovering a haul of fake Euro 24 shirts worth £50,000. A man has been arrested and released under investigation, City of London Police said.

The raid on the Haslemere shop and a residential address is part of a wider investigation tackling foul play by counterfeiters.

While punters might think a cheap fake shirt is a bargain, police said proceeds often fund other criminal activities such as money laundering, forced labour, and drug operations. Counterfeiting is now thought to be the second-largest source of criminal income worldwide after illegal drugs.

In total, police estimate that counterfeit football shirts and kits worth £98,300 have been seized across the country by PIPCU, and eight people have now been arrested in raids against the nationwide counterfeiting ring. The crackdown came as England prepared to face the Netherlands in the Euro semi-final.

Marcus Evans, Deputy Director of Intelligence and Law Enforcement at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO), said: “As fans show their support for their favourite teams at Euro 2024, criminal networks continue to exploit their loyalty by targeting the market with counterfeit kits. The production and sale of these kits is anything but a victimless crime. It does nothing to support the game of football but instead supports the lifestyles of the criminals involved – diverting funds away from the sport into the hands of serious and organised crime gangs.

“The trade in counterfeits has been estimated to cost over 80,000 jobs in the UK each year, and is strongly linked to other forms of serious crime – including the trade in illegal drugs, people smuggling, and modern slavery.

“We will continue to work with our partners to help tackle this threat to our communities, raising awareness and empowering fans to make informed choices, helping benefit all who love the game.”