World Cup 2026: Canada busts the largest fake jersey ring in history.

In addition to fraud, the two defendants are accused of possessing property obtained through crime, valued at over CAD 5,000, selling goods through misleading marketing with the intent to deceive, and distributing counterfeit goods on a commercial scale.

Toronto police have busted a counterfeit sporting goods ring, seizing more than 16,000 fake jerseys in what is being described as the largest seizure of counterfeit sports apparel in the country's history.

The incident occurred just over a week before the 2026 World Cup kicks off on June 11th, with matches being held in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada, along with several other cities in the US and Mexico.

Speaking at a press conference on June 1st, Toronto Deputy Police Chief Robert Johnson announced that police had arrested two men in connection with a counterfeit sporting goods ring worth over CAD 3.5 million (over USD 2.5 million).

In addition to fraud, the two defendants are accused of possessing property obtained through crime, valued at over CAD 5,000, selling goods through misleading means with the intent to deceive, and distributing counterfeit goods on a commercial scale.

According to the area's Police Chief, David Ecklund, authorities seized more than 16,000 fake soccer jerseys, flags, and two counterfeit World Cup trophies. The Toronto Police Department said the counterfeit goods were manufactured overseas, but investigators are still determining the country of origin.

Given the scale of the seized goods, police believe the two suspects had been operating this ring for some time. Police suspect that the proceeds from the sale of counterfeit goods were used to finance organized crime.

According to investigators, the case began with a complaint filed in May by the law firm Lipkus Law LLP with the Investigation Unit of the Toronto Police's FIFA Planning Group.

According to the complaint, a warehouse in Mississauga was storing a large quantity of counterfeit goods, including sportswear, hats, flags, and other related products. Investigators believe the network supplied goods to retailers and acted as a distribution hub for counterfeit products.

On May 26th, police executed a search warrant at the warehouse and seized counterfeit football jerseys and flags bearing the names and logos of several major brands, including FIFA, Nike, Adidas, and Puma.

(VNA/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/world-cup-2026-canada-triet-pha-duong-day-ao-dau-gia-lon-nhat-lich-su-post1114325.vnp