africa seem to have cornered the market on this over the years, selling knockoff merchandise like the prada and gucci copies you see here. but things are tough. business is down. the big stores don't like the competition and have complained to the authorities. so these are anxious times for them, which means their job comes with plenty of strings attached, literally. the goods are spread out on what looks to be a blanket. notice the ropes on the corners. he's holding them because when he has to make a run for it, all he does is pull. the blanket becomes a sack and he's off, usually with a pair of police scooters in pursuit. these days they've been doing more walking and running than selling. you doing good work? >> no good. >> reporter: no? okay. a lot of times it's just a game of cat and mouse. but when the police get serious, the consequences can be very severe. they can face prison terms of up to two years. they can be fined 3,000 euro, almost $4,000. and of course they get all their goods confiscated. this group has just been chased away. they ran a few blocks and set up somewhere else.