Throng

Every week, millions of pounds are spent in the UK buying counterfeit goods. From the illegally copied DVDs sold in the pub on a Friday night to the brand-name trainers sold at a fraction of their high-street price, fake merchandise is big business.

But behind the lure of an apparent bargain often lurk highly organised criminal gangs, whose other illegal activities include drugs, prostitution, extortion and people trafficking.

In a one-off documentary for ITV1, Black Market Britain goes on the trail of the illegal Chinese immigrants – often the front line for Triad gangs – who make over a million pounds every six months selling dodgy DVDs in pubs and supermarket car parks.

The programme also exposes the scroungers who claim benefits while making thousands every week selling CDs, including the gang leader who claims an invalidity pension but had no problem carrying large boxes of CDs to market and then selling them.

Black Market Britain goes undercover to show how some counterfeiters use their own children to make and sell illegal CDs, as well as those who ‘chip’ games consoles so that they can play counterfeit games. With such huge profits to be made, violence is never far away and many gangs protect themselves with weapons.

These illicit businesses pay no taxes or VAT, destroy legitimate traders and often, at great cost to the unwitting consumer, there are no safety standards. A sofa seized by Trading Standards is tested and immediately bursts in to flames, producing clouds of highly toxic gas that can kill in seconds. The documentary also reveals how the police and trading standards are fighting back, hitting the counterfeiters with prison sentences, hefty fines and asset seizures.