Staff Insp. Bryce Evans of the Toronto police financial crimes unit said tests of counterfeit winter jackets found bacteria, mildew and chicken parts in the jackets’ down. Dog hair has also been found in the stuffing of counterfeit children’s toys, police said.
Police say they have seized about $3.5 million in counterfeit goods, including jackets with chicken parts in the down and German shepherd hair in the trim on their hoods.
Knock-off erectile dysfunction drugs, stuffed toys, beauty products, electronics, sports jerseys and handbags were among the counterfeit items seized during the November operation, dubbed Project Consumer Safety, police said. It was one of the largest such seizures in Toronto history.
“The majority of these items come in direct contact with the consumer’s skin, hair, facial area, eyes and are also being ingested,” Staff Insp. Bryce Evans, of the Toronto police financial crimes unit, said Monday.
“I don’t know anyone who could condone the sale of counterfeit medication,” said major crimes Det. Rob Whalen, alleging, “this can and will make you ill and possibly kill you. We’ve had cases in Toronto and Canada as a whole where counterfeit medication is linked to the deaths of several people.”
A Canadian Chamber of Commerce report released in July found 80 per cent of counterfeit goods in Canada are manufactured in China, Evans said.
Imitation Viagra, Levitra and Cialis, used for erectile dysfunction, were seized. The drugs were found behind the counter of a clothing business in York Region, said Det. Const. Andrea Chedas.
Counterfeit clothing was also seized there, Chedas said.
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