The new Belgian police uniform has not even been rolled out yet, but a counterfeit version is already being sold online. A fake police polo shirt recently appeared on AliExpress, raising concerns in Belgium about counterfeit uniforms and security risks.

Nederlandse lezers: dit artikel is beschikbaar op Prettybusiness.nl.

Belgian police uniform presented in 2024

When the new police uniform is presented in May 2024, a weight will be lifted from the government’s shoulders. Officers have been wearing the same uniform for 22 years, and the call for renewal has only grown louder. On the streets, officers face aggression more frequently, with the tragic death of an officer in 2022 as a low point. The Belgian police hope that the new uniform will project more authority.

However, there’s little cause for immediate celebration, as it’s revealed during the presentation that the actual rollout will take time. The earliest projection for officers wearing the new clothing is late 2026 to early 2027.

Belgian police uniform sold on AliExpress

This week, it was announced that a replica of the police polo shirt is being sold via the Chinese webshop AliExpress. The site lists it as made from breathable, quick-drying fabric and available in sizes S through 6XL. Recent figures show that 31 shirts have already been sold.

This raises some concerns. There are enough media stories of criminals using such uniforms to impersonate officers during robberies.

The Belgian Federal Police therefore fear that people could misuse these replicas. In addition, some officers may feel tempted to buy them out of frustration, given the long-standing dissatisfaction with the current uniforms and the lengthy rollout timeline.

Joery Dehaes from the ACV union also calls it a strange situation: “We’ve been discussing this uniform for years without much progress. Let’s hope that this ‘Chinese trick’ pushes our politicians and police leaders to finally implement and legally protect the police uniform quickly.”

A spokesperson for the Federal Police later announced that a lawyer is already handling the matter: “The application for legal protection of the new uniform is in progress, but the logo of the Integrated Police on these polo shirts is already protected, so that should make a difference. (…) However, certain countries, like China, do not easily enforce this kind of protection.”

Why counterfeit police uniforms are a security risk

I always find it interesting when governments act shocked when their uniforms are counterfeited. This is nothing new. Counterfeit uniforms are already a known issue, for instance with Dutch ambulance uniforms sold through another website.

And these two countries are not the only ones. I receive daily news updates on uniforms for my work, and I frequently come across these kinds of stories. Anyone familiar with the world of workwear knows this happens. The more recognizable the profession, the greater the chance that people will counterfeit the uniforms. Especially when organizations publish both photos and technical drawings of the designs, manufacturers can easily replicate them. Although these replicas do not match the quality of the original, buyers are often more interested in the appearance.

That is why organizations should legally protect the design before making it public. Even when certain countries barely enforce these protections, it is still important to establish ownership. This is especially crucial for police uniforms, because criminals are particularly interested in them. In this case, the Belgian police clearly overlooked that risk.

Counterfeit products on AliExpress

The counterfeit polo shirts have now disappeared from AliExpress. That doesn’t surprise me. In the past, the Chinese e-commerce platform became known for selling cheap products that often failed to meet Western standards, but the company has started to change that image. Over the past few years, AliExpress has tightened its regulations for sellers on the platform.

Despite these efforts, AliExpress received a warning from the European Commission last year regarding the sale of counterfeit products. According to the report, Alibaba, the parent company of AliExpress, is known for its anti-counterfeiting processes, which are among the best in the e-commerce industry. Yet, the issue remains unsolved due to insufficient sales controls and ineffective enforcement against repeat offenders.

Although AliExpress still needs to improve its processes, completely preventing counterfeit products remains difficult. The internet has brought many advantages, but this is clearly one of its downsides. Organizations can legally protect their designs to prove ownership, but after that they still depend on e-commerce platforms to remove counterfeit products quickly. Unfortunately, not every platform takes that responsibility equally seriously.

Want to read more about the new Belgian police uniforms?

Also check:

• Belgian police uniforms under fire
• New Belgian uniforms tested in 13 police zones

Best regards,
Aileen

Last update: 14/05/2026