Move to combat counterfeit trade

PERSONAL baggage will now be searched for counterfeit goods under new EU regulations due to come into force in the coming weeks.

The move is part of a concerted effort to combat a trade that has mushroomed in recent years and earns criminal and paramilitary gangs massive profits each year.

The new regulation closes a major loophole by extending customs law to include personal baggage, typically used in the small-scale traffic of counterfeit items.