More than £6m-worth of counterfeit clothing has been seized from dodgy shops over the past fortnight in a blitz on Manchester’s ‘Counterfeit Street’.
The Easter period has historically been one of the busiest times of year for Manchester’s counterfeit shops in the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways areas, according to GMP.
However, this year, the counterfeit trade has been disrupted, with 18 shops shut down in the past two weeks.
The haul, known as Operation Vulcan, was designed to rid the areas of criminal activity.
Over the fortnight, police have encountered dilapidated buildings littered with rat urine and faeces, dangerous homemade electricity, hidden weapons, and shops without proper means of escape.
More than £6m-worth of counterfeit clothing has been seized from dodgy shops over the past fortnight in a blitz on Manchester’s ‘Counterfeit Street’
Manchester’s counterfeit trade has been disrupted, with 18 shops shut down in the past two weeks
Items seized will be repurposed and recycled, turning them into items which the community can benefit from – including coats, hats, insulation, and even energy for houses.
GMP say ‘relentless action by Operation Vulcan’ is affecting the gangs involved with Manchester’s illegitimate trade, with the latest seizures leading to goods worth millions of pounds being removed from the criminal market.
It is believed that around 33 organised crime gangs from across the country have links to the area.
Since the launch of the operation last autumn, police believe the total number of dodgy shops around Strangeways has been slashed from more than 200 to less than 10.
More than 100 people have been arrested on suspicion of a variety of different offences in that time, including 38 for drugs offences.
Inspector Andy Torkington, one of Operation Vulcan’s specialist officers, said: ‘We have been relentlessly targeting these illegitimate shops, but we are aware of the few remaining units who are attempting to operate in the area.
‘We will be targeting these premises imminently and our investigations will continue as we seek out and arrest those involved.’
The multi-agency targeted action plan – codenamed Operation Vulcan – is designed to rid Cheetham Hill and Strangeways of criminal activity
Items seized will be repurposed and recycled, turning them into items which the community can benefit from, including coats and hats
Since the launch of the operation, police believe the total number of dodgy shops around Strangeways has been slashed from more than 200 to less than 10
According to GMP, the trade in counterfeit goods is estimated by National Trading Standards to be worth £8.6 billion per year, with the area of Cheetham Hill believed to be linked to almost 50% of this trade, earning it the title of the UK capital for counterfeit.
He added: ‘We are seeing excellent progress in the area, and the feedback from the public has been overwhelmingly supportive, but there is still more to be done.
‘The criminality has been embedded into the area for decades, and we’re under no illusion that five months of relentless action will solve it, but these results show great strides in the right direction.
Police say the trade in counterfeit goods is estimated by National Trading Standards to be worth £8.6 billion per year
Items discovered inside the Manchester store included counterfeit designer bags and watches
‘We need the community side by side with us, sharing information so we can act upon it and bring these people to justice. Operation Vulcan has unwavering support from partner agencies across Greater Manchester which will enable us to stamp out the criminality and build stronger communities.’
A previous raid of the area £60k in fake cosmetics and beauty products, which were found to contain traces of cyanide and human urine.
And in November, one million ‘potentially deadly’ fake prescription drugs were seized by police from a flat in an ongoing drive to dismantle Manchester’s Counterfeit Street.
DailyMail
