People returning from holiday via Schiphol airport with fake Gucci handbags and Versace clothing need no longer fear being fined by customs officials, the AD reports on Friday.

The AD says the minimum €175 fine for people with at least three fake items has been dropped because it is ‘too much hassle’. Fines will now start from 50 items.

Officials will, however, continue to confiscate fake designer clothing and handbags, often bought at holiday location markets for a few euros. Last year, they seized at least 127,000 items from holidaymakers at Schiphol.

Designer goods companies are furious about the decision and say customs officials are sending out the wrong signal.

‘The law states it is a crime and that means it should be treated as such,’ Ronald Brohm, director of the branded goods lobby group React, told the paper.