Manchester police rack up £5m fake goods haul

Greater Manchester Police has uncovered a multi-million pound counterfeit operation and made over a dozen arrests as part of a major crackdown in the area.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) says it has worked with a number of organisations across Greater Manchester this week to tackle counterfeit goods, as well as illegal money lending and a range of other offences.

This has been a part of the so-called 'Programme Challenger', the region’s largest ever crackdown on serious organised crime.

As part of Programme Challenger the GMP says that in North Manchester, specifically in Cheetham Hill, its police officers targeted the sale of counterfeit goods. So far, this week has seen £5m in fakes seized with 13 people arrested for counterfeit offences involving brands such as Gucci and Ugg boots as well as replica football strips and a sizeable haul of fake tobacco.

The GMP says that as well as damaging law abiding local businesses, the sale of counterfeit goods facilitates other serious crime, as many of these shops are set up by the premises owners, who then employ illegal workers to staff them.

Detective Inspector Chris Mossop says: "If a person buys a fake jacket, handbag or watch, they are indirectly lining the pockets of criminal gangs, who use the cash to fund further illegal and often violent activity, or the purchase of guns and drugs. Owners not only employ those who are in the country illegally, but actually have a hand in arranging their illegal entry to start with.

"Make no mistake, the sale of counterfeit goods is not a victimless crime - the peddling of these fakes can ruin communities, putting legitimate local companies out of pocket, and out of business.

"We have been working hard to not only remove these criminals and their activities from our streets, but also to reach out to local residents and businesses, to discuss their concerns and provide assistance whilst raising awareness of organised crime and how to report it.

"The work doesn't stop here – as always, we'll continue to go after those who seek to damage our communities, and protect the vulnerable people they seek to exploit."