Chinese police catch fake cosmetics loot worth $120m

Chinese police have seized a huge haul of counterfeit cosmetics, including ones labelled as Chanel, Christian Dior, L'Oreal SA's Lancome and Estée Lauder, with a combined street value of around 827 million yuan (£96.2 million).

Police forces in the eastern city of Taizhou busted seven underground dens earlier this month and seized over 1,200 boxes of the counterfeit make-up, local authorities said late on Wednesday via an official Sina Weibo microblog.

Police identified the counterfeit cosmetic gangs last year after reports of fake Amway products being sold online.

The cosmetics bust underlines the challenge brands face in China, where counterfeit and knock-off products can range from personal care items to food products, medicines and even cars.

The country has been trying to step up a crackdown on fakes, with authorities opening more than 170,000 intellectual property infringement and counterfeit product cases last year and arresting nearly 20,000 suspects.