It is somewhat ironic that some of the very latest security items that we rely on to protect our cars and motorcycles from thieves appear to have been copied and many of these poorly-made counterfeits are now headed our way courtesy of the criminals themselves.

The organised vehicle crime gangs have clearly spotted a lucrative market for these anti-theft items, the need for which was created by their operations throughout western Europe.

Huge quantities of fake and counterfeit vehicle security products have already been stopped at EU freight terminals and border crossings this year. These would have flooded the market, purporting to track, recover and identify stolen vehicles, as well as prevent theft in the first place.

It is estimated that 10 per cent of the global trade market now involves fake items and the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) suggest some 60 billion euros (that’s £53 billion in sterling) are lost each year due to counterfeiting.

While only a small percentage of this is attributed to inferior vehicle parts, it is nevertheless still a huge market – and it’s growing.