Three people arrested and £110k found wrapped in nappies as police investigate sale of fake airbags

Police have arrested three people and seized more than £100,000 wrapped in nappies as part of an investigation into the sale of fake airbags.

City of London Police carried out early morning raids in Leyton and Ilford, east London, seizing 500 counterfeit airbags and £140,000 in cash.

Around £110,000 was hidden in nappies in a wall cavity in one of the houses that was searched.

The raids were carried out by the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) at City of London Police, following a tip-off from the US Department of Homeland Security.

It is suspected that the airbags were imported into the UK from China and then sold abroad for as little as £25.

Three men aged 34, 36 and 51 were arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to distribute counterfeit goods during the operation on 19 September.

They have since been released under investigation.

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Detective Chief Inspector Emma Warbey from City of London Police said: “Counterfeit airbags pose a serious threat to customers who purchase them and have them installed in their vehicles.

“These airbags aren’t manufactured to industry standards, so there’s a real possibility that they won’t inflate during a road traffic collision, or will deploy in error.

“Counterfeiting a device designed to save lives demonstrates the lengths that criminals will go to make money and their disregard for the safety of the people who will end up using these products.

“The fake airbags we seized today are sold at prices far below the cost of quality, genuine equipment. We know that the offer of a good deal can be enticing, but it’s always important to buy vehicle parts from a reputable seller.”

In the US, a consumer alert by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) warned that three people there were killed and two injured between September 2023 and July 2024 after their cars were fitted with substandard replacement airbag inflators.