Why your fake fashion is funding organised crime
This Is Why
Sky News
4.0 • 552 Ratings
🗓️ 26 March 2026
⏱️ 20 minutes
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Summary
The market in counterfeit goods – fake handbags, knock-off trainers or not-quite-designer clothes – is now worth more than double the illegal drug trade in the UK.
So, it’s easy to see why organised criminal gangs are concentrating on selling fake fashion, both on the high street and online.
And they’re being helped by an army of influencers – who, knowingly or otherwise, are encouraging their followers to buy illicit goods.
Niall speaks to Katerina Vittozzi – Sky’s North of England Correspondent who led an investigation into fake fashion – and Sarah Woodcock, Chief Executive Officer of The Anti-Slavery Collective.
Have you got a question for the podcast? Email us: why@sky.uk
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Sky News, the full story first. |
| 0:10.6 | Fake fashion and counterfeit goods are funding criminal gangs to the tune of billions of pounds a year. |
| 0:17.8 | And this is why. |
| 0:20.8 | Time to thank our partner for this episode, Elevon. When you're diving in... a year and this is why. |
| 0:23.5 | Time to thank our partner for this episode, Elevon. |
| 0:26.7 | When you're diving into the worlds of news or sport, |
| 0:30.0 | it's critical to have experts right by your site. |
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... |
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