A SUSPECTED counterfeit football jersey syndicate targeting foreign tourists has been exposed after the Kuala Lumpur branch of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) raided several premises at Jalan Petaling on Friday.
The operation uncovered thousands of suspected fake World Cup jerseys allegedly being sold at unreasonable prices to overseas visitors in an attempt to generate higher profits.
The syndicate, believed to be operated by local individuals using foreign workers as sales staff, was exposed during an enforcement raid involving five premises, comprising one storage facility and four retail stalls.
During the operation, several foreign workers were reported to have fled when enforcement officers arrived.
Kuala Lumpur KPDN Enforcement Chief Mohd Shahran Mohd Arshad said the raid began at 6pm and resulted in the seizure of 5,403 suspected counterfeit jerseys with an estimated value of RM270,150.
"Six Bangladeshi and Myanmar workers, including a woman in her 20s to 30s, were detained.
"The foreign nationals are believed to have been employed as workers and paid salaries," he told reporters after the operation.
Mohd Shahran said interviews with tourists visiting the area revealed that the jerseys were being sold at significantly higher prices compared with those offered to local customers.
"To local buyers, the jerseys are sold at around RM50 each, but for foreign tourists, the price can exceed RM100," he said.
Investigations at the stalls found that the counterfeit jerseys were classified as Grade A and Grade B products, while the storage facility contained specialised machines used to print names and numbers onto the shirts.
Mohd Shahran said the illegal operation was capable of selling up to 100 jerseys daily during the World Cup season, generating estimated returns of around RM5,000 a day.
"Initial investigations found that the premises raided involved different syndicates, and further action will be taken to identify the owners, tenants and other parties involved," he said.
He urged visitors to Jalan Petaling to report any suspected sale of counterfeit goods to KPDN to enable further enforcement action.
The case is being investigated under the Trade Marks Act 2019. - July 11, 2026
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