12/05/98

Source: Electronic Telegraph - http://www.telegraph.co.uk

By: John Steele, Crime Correspondent

ORGANISED crime gangs are smuggling fake toys into Britain to fund drug trafficking, says the National Criminal Intelligence Service.

Counterfeit Beanie Babies and Furbies - burping, furry creatures in big demand at Christmas - have been seized in Britain.

NCIS said criminals from Poland, Turkey, Italy and Indonesia were exploiting the huge demand for Christmas presents by selling often sub-standard and potentially harmful counterfeit toys to fund other illegal activities.

So far this year, it said, fake Beanie Baby soft toys worth £1 million had been seized in Britain. There is a limited production period for each of the genuine and different Beanie Baby characters, which makes many of them collectors' items, and pushes up the value for counterfeiters. NCIS officers said customers could pay up to £100 for a single fake product.

Among fake bears being sold are Britannia Bear, which has a Union Flag on the front and can sell for up to £200 to collectors, and Princess Bear. The manufacturer, Ty, gives profits from sales of genuine Princess Bears to the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund, so the counterfeiters are depriving the charity of cash.