Close to €300,000 worth of fake Nike-branded runners have been seized by Customs & Excise officials in Cork.
More than 2,000 pairs of trainers were seized by the Revenue Commissioners team in an operation targeting the black market. It is understood the counterfeit goods originated from China and were destined to be sold in the Munster region.
The counterfeit items were seized following the routine profiling of a freight shipment from China.
A spokesman for Revenue warned consumers that because the goods are counterfeit, they are not subject to the same quality assured levels of manufacture.
Running in counterfeit trainers constitutes a health and safety risk as they have not been tested for quality control and may not provide the necessary support for intensive training or exercise.
The Revenue spokesman added that members of the public who may have received gifts of Nike runners and are concerned about the possibility of them being fake should gardai or their local customs officer.