The largest ever haul of counterfeit goods in UK history has been seized by police - worth a whopping £87million. The 580 tonnes of illegal products - including knock-off clothes, drugs, illicit tobacco, nitrous oxide canisters and vapes - were discovered in a lockup.
More than 100 officers took part in the raids as part of Operation Vulcan which has shut down 100 shops in Manchester, where the lockup was found. Greater Manchester Police estimated the loss to criminals to be about £87m and it is believed the monumental haul could be one of the single biggest in Europe for almost two decades.
Police used covert tactics and gathered intelligence from the community before dishing out warrants at the storage unit in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester. Officers then raided 207 shipping containers in 14 days while being assisted by tactical aid teams, dog units, police search advisors and crime scene investigators.
The force said an intensive investigation was now underway to trace where the items had come from and to ensure those involved were arrested. Detective Inspector Christian Julien, one of Operation Vulcan’s specialist officers, said the seizure demonstrated the “true scale” of the counterfeit trade in the UK.
He said: “This latest seizure by Operation Vulcan elevates Greater Manchester Police onto the global stage, placing us in the top three worldwide for a single seizure of counterfeit items. I hope that our work so far has shown the true scale of the counterfeit trade in the UK, the majority of which was on our doorstep here in Manchester.
“It’s important to recognise the serious impact of sophisticated and large-scale counterfeit operations like this and I would like to take this opportunity to remind members of the public of its links to serious organised crime. It isn’t a bargain, so please be under no illusions - this type of crime is not victimless.
“Criminals are making vast amounts of money from this trade which is being funnelled into fuelling further criminality, exploitation, and misery not just in Manchester, but across the world.”
