Police uniforms have been found for sale on Chinese e-commerce websites, with police warning the public of impersonation scams. Three Chinese e-commerce companies and an independent Chinese clothing retailer were found to be selling the counterfeit police uniforms, badges and caps with the insignia of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland police, according to the ABC. The websites claimed to be selling authentic police items, with uniforms and accessories available for purchase between $4 and $50.According to the ABC, one of the retailers claimed to have sold more than 70 items from its site. Other items from the retailers have since been removed from the e-commerce platforms. A South Australia Police spokesman told NewsWire they were aware that “police-style uniforms and insignia can occasionally be advertised for sale online, including by overseas vendors”. The spokesman said it did not publicly disclose where its uniforms were manufactured for security reasons, and there were strict protocols for uniform disposal. “SAPOL takes the security and integrity of its uniforms seriously and has strict procurement, inventory and accountability processes governing the issue and disposal of uniforms, badges and official accoutrements,” he said. “Where unauthorised sales are identified, SAPOL may engage with online platforms, regulatory authorities and other agencies to seek the removal of items and investigate any potential offences.”The spokesman said while some historical or decommissioned uniforms can be possessed legally, “the unauthorised use of police uniforms, badges or insignia, particularly to impersonate a police officer or misrepresent an association with SAPOL may constitute an offence”. Queensland Police told NewsWire that some of its uniforms were manufactured through \suppliers “selected through a stringent procurement framework, some of whom manufacture uniform items outside Australia, including in China”.“These contracts establish strict controls on how uniform items are produced and traded, and the QPS asserts its intellectual property rights wherever breaches are detected,” it said. The spokesman said Queensland Police were aware of the “worldwide trade in replica uniform items from military, law enforcement, and other organisations”.A Victoria Police spokesman told NewsWire all police uniforms were made through “approved suppliers with contractual protections in place”, including “items made overseas”.“Victoria Police retains and protects intellectual property rights,” he said.“We are not aware of any approved supplier trying to sell uniform items elsewhere.” The spokesman said Victoria Police “does not support the promotion of buying fake police uniforms and such behaviour encourages criminality and breaches of law”. It is an offence to impersonate a police officer or a protective services officer in Victoria, with a penalty of a $24,000 fine, one year imprisonment or both. It is illegal to impersonate a police officer in South Australia, and anyone who unlawfully wears a police uniform or represents themselves as an officer can face a fine of $2500 or six months in prison. The maximum fine for unauthorised possession of police clothing in Western Australia is $9000, but impersonating an officer could lead to a $12,000 fine and up to two years in prison.In Queensland, it is not an offence to own a replica police uniform, but it is illegal to use the items to impersonate a police or public officer. “All on-duty police officers, whether in plain clothes or uniform, are required to carry official QPS identification, comprising a metal QPS badge and an identification card, complete with the officer’s name, registered number and photograph,” the spokesman told NewsWire.