Authorities have raided several stalls in Kuala Lumpur’s Petaling Street for allegedly selling counterfeit 2026 FIFA World Cup jerseys, arresting six foreign workers and seizing 5,403 suspected fake shirts worth RM270,150.
According to a report by BuletinTV3, the operation, led by the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), began at about 6 pm and targeted five premises believed to be operated by different syndicates. Several foreign workers reportedly fled when enforcement officers arrived.
Six Bangladeshi and Myanmar nationals, including a woman aged between their 20s and 30s, were detained during the raid. Kuala Lumpur KPDN chief enforcement officer Mohd Shahran Mohd Arshad said initial investigations indicated they were employed and paid by the syndicates.
Investigators also found the counterfeit jerseys were sold to locals for around RM50 each. On the other hand, foreign tourists were charged more than RM100 per shirt. Interviews with several tourists suggested they had purchased the jerseys without realising they were counterfeit.
Further inspections found that the stalls were selling Grade A and Grade B counterfeit jerseys. Authorities also discovered a machine at a storage facility used to print names and numbers on the jerseys, enabling the syndicates to customise the products.
Mohd Shahran said the syndicates were believed to sell up to 100 jerseys a day, generating profits of about RM5,000 during the World Cup season.
Authorities are now tracing the owners and tenants of the raided premises as investigations continue under the Trademarks Act 2019.
