A man in his 50’s and a man in his 30’s, have been arrested on suspicion of money laundering and on suspicion of the unauthorised use of trademarks, offences under the Trade Marks Act 1994.
An estimated amount of £500,000 worth of goods were seized after officers from the Safer Transport Team, from the Transport Unit, Police Constable Callum Wood and Police Constable Briece Livsey, made two arrests after sighting a car driving suspiciously on Queens Road, Cheetham Hill this morning
During the search, officers recovered 12 pairs of Nike‑branded trainers, each accompanied by a receipt. On closer inspection, the receipts appeared to be counterfeit due to multiple spelling errors, duplicated product codes and other inconsistencies not found on genuine retail documentation.
Officers also seized approximately £3,000 in cash, for which the occupants were unable to provide a credible explanation.
Further enquiries linked both men to two shipping containers at a site on Hobson Street, Failsworth.
Police searched the locations, uncovering a large quantity of counterfeit designer clothing, footwear and perfume, far beyond what would be consistent with personal possession.
While on scene officers conducted further enquiries which led to another shipping container being identified
In total, the scale of the recovery across all three containers is estimated to have a street value of around £500,000.
The pair remain in custody as enquiries continue.
Police Inspector Michael Mooney from the Transport Unit said: “This incident is a fantastic example of proactive policing by our officers, who trusted their instincts and acted quickly to prevent a large quantity of counterfeit goods from entering our communities.
“Counterfeit items aren’t just cheap imitations; many are unsafe and unregulated and fund wider organised criminality.
“GMP will not condone the sale or distribution of fake goods, and we remain committed to disrupting those who profit from this type of offending.
“We rely on the public’s support, if you have any information about organised criminal activity you can contact us directly via 101 or LiveChat or speak to us anonymously via Crimestoppers.
“Every piece of information helps us protect our communities and bring offenders to justice.”
