FAKE items worth £30,000 have been found in a major swoop on rogue traders in Dewsbury.
The items, mainly clothes, compact discs and DVDs, were found when police and trading standards officials clamped down on shops in Dewsbury town centre and a Dewsbury car boot sale.
It followed complaints when people bought counterfeit items and found them to be poor quality.
More than 220 items of clothes were seized.
But at the car boot sale at Dewsbury rugby's Tetley Stadium at Owl Lane, Shaw Cross, several arrests were made which led to raids on houses.
Police were joined by officers from West Yorkshire Trading Standards, the Department of Work and Pensions, West Yorkshire Specialist Fraud Team, The Federation Against Copyright Theft and The British Phonographic Industry.
A total of 14 stall holders were targeted and five were subsequently arrested.
House searches resulted in further seizures of counterfeit goods and equipment, including more than 3,500 CDs or DVDs and hardware used for copying.
More than 12 people were found to be claiming benefits which they were not entitled to receive.
West Yorkshire Chief Trading Standards Officer Martin Wood said: "This operation exemplifies the serious stance that is taken towards the sale of counterfeit goods.
"We have a duty to secure a fair market place in West Yorkshire by ensuring traders operate legally and justly.
"Counterfeit goods are a deliberate attempt to deceive consumers who ultimately lose out with a poor quality product".
Clr Tony Brice, of the Trading Standards committee, added: "Music and film piracy costs the entertainment industry a fortune and leaves consumers feeling short-changed when they have bought items in good faith which turn out to be sub-standard.
"The sheer amount and variety of goods seized at the weekend is simply staggering."
