Yes, everyone loves a bargain, and with Christmas around the corner, people are on the look out for ways to make their cash go further.

But the costs of buying counterfeit goods is high, not just to the buyer, who gets inferior quality goods, but to society as a whole.

The Government loses out on VAT and taxes, so a shortfall has to be plugged, legitimate traders lose out on income so people lose their jobs, and the profits from these goods are used to fund other criminal activity, such as drug dealing and human trafficking.

There is a serious safety issue with some products - if it is food or drink, then food standards laws have not been adhered to, and if it is electrical goods, complying with the European Safety standard is of no interest to criminal gangs.

The Barras has for too long been a focal point of this activity and the operation to smash the network that leads to goods being on sale there will be welcomed by law-abiding traders.

Let's hope these crackdowns continue and the market can once more be what is used to be - a much-loved Glasgow institution where a real bargain can be had.