In a press conference with the media on June 1, investigators revealed that they had received information on May 12 about a warehouse in Mississauga containing suspected stolen goods.
Two weeks later, police carried out a search warrant at that building and seized more than 16,000 fake jerseys bearing the FIFA, Nike, Adidas and Puma brands, as well as flags and two fake FIFA World Cup trophies.
Some seized exhibits were displayed by police at a press conference on June 1. They included fake jerseys of the Canadian, Argentine, Portuguese and Croatian national teams. Some fake NFL (National Football League) jerseys were also seized.
Police said two suspects, Ramy Jaber, 41, residing in Milton, and Walid Sarhan, 62, residing in Mississauga, provided counterfeit goods to retail stores through a legal trading company. Customers of those retail stores were then fully charged, because they thought the product was genuine.
“Therefore, people come to retail stores thinking they are buying genuine goods, such as jerseys or sports equipment. They pay the full price as if they were buying genuine goods, but in fact they are buying fake goods,” a Toronto police representative said.
It is not yet clear whether these counterfeit goods were sold to retailers at prices lower than market prices. The Toronto police have also not determined how many fake jerseys have been distributed or sold in the Toronto market.
Police said FIFA did not participate in the investigation.
Lipkus LLP law firm in Toronto was the first unit to report to the Toronto police about the warehouse where counterfeit goods were discovered. This law firm specializes in brand protection investigations and is a member of the Canadian Counterfeiting Network.
Speaking at a press conference on June 1, a representative of Lipkus LLP warned football fans to be wary of jersey deals that seem too bargain to believe.
They said: "If you shop online on third-party e-commerce platforms or through social media, start by looking at the price. A high-end brand with cheap prices is not a discount, but a suspicious sign.
Representatives of Lipkus LLP advise fans to learn carefully before buying jerseys and encourage them to visit the brand's website to find out where they can buy products locally.
Toronto is expected to welcome more than 300,000 foreign tourists during the matches of the 2026 World Cup. It will host 6 matches, including the opening match of the host team Canada against Bosnia & Herzegovina on June 12.
