Beijing – Chinese police have arrested 10 people suspected of making and selling fake World Cup shirts worth over 30 million yuan (4.8 million dollars), the Ministry of Public Security announced on Monday.

Police of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Guangdong and Fujian provinces have seized over 150,000 counterfeit World Cup shirts, including jerseys of football teams, in a joint operation under the command of the ministry.

The ministry said that police in Guangxi received tip-offs from locals in May and launched an investigation into the case, which involved a clothing factory in the region, an underground manufacturer in Fujian.

“Some of the fake shirts have split into markets in Africa, central Asia and other parts of the world, severely damaging China’s reputation,” the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the investigation is still ongoing.

Xinhua/NAN