MORE than 7,000 fake Olympic gym bags have today been seized by Border Force officials at the Port of Felixstowe.

The haul is one of a number of seizures at ports and airports around the UK in recent weeks as criminal gangs try to smuggle goods to make an illegal profit from the London Games.

As well as the gym bags, Border Force officers at Felixstowe recently seized 540 Olympic-branded cigarette lighters, while at Dover, 432 Olympic themed vests were seized, and other items found have included fake Olympic Adidas football shirts, and Olympic Polo Ralph Lauren shirts.

Home Office minister Damian Green said: “Counterfeiting is not a harmless crime but a criminal enterprise posing a serious economic threat estimated to be worth around �1.3 billion in the UK each year.

“In this Olympic summer our officers have utilised intelligence sources, scanner technology and search techniques to successfully thwart those seeking to illegally profit from the Games.

“Border Force officers at ports and airports around the UK help monitor inbound freight to safeguard our communities from the illegal import of harmful items such as drugs, weapons and counterfeit goods.”

LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games) commercial director, Chris Townsend said: “Fake products not only undermine our ability to raise the revenues needed to stage and host the London 2012 Games, but the fake goods themselves are likely to be of inferior quality and not meet the stringent safety and sustainability standards that all official products must meet.

“All official London 2012 merchandise bears the London 2012 hologram.

“When tilting the hologram from left to right and up and down, you should be able to see the London 2012 logos rotating with a 3D effect – if you are unable to see this then the product is likely to be fake.”