City of London Police are warning people about buying fake versions of luxury beauty products after substances such as rat droppings, human urine, arsenic and cyanide were found in many seized goods.

The police force said that in the UK it is estimated at least £90m (US$140m, €125m) is spent every year on counterfeit luxury goods, according to the BBC. A total of £3.5m (US$5.4m, €4.8m) worth of phony products have been seized by the police and 5,500 websites selling fake luxury-branded goods have been suspended.

Products being copied and manufactured in unhygienic factories include make-up, perfume, sunscreen and electrical beauty items – that could cause electrocution.

Counterfeit beauty products are becoming increasingly common and easily available on the internet, however laboratory tests show that fake perfume often contains poisonous chemicals including cyanide and even human urine. Other cosmetics contain toxic levels of substances such as arsenic, mercury and lead. Poorly maintained factories mean some products’ laboratory results showed evidence of rat droppings and poison.

Highlighting the fact that these harmful substances can cause allergic reactions and longer term health problems, detective spt Maria Woodall told the BBC: “Most luxury brands don’t reduce their prices. Our general rule is if it [a price for a premium product] seems too good to be true then it probably is.”