A trove of counterfeit goods with a retail value of more than £150,000 has been seized following a swoop by Manchester City Council’s Trading Standards Team in Newton Heath
Following a tip off that Retro Menswear, in Old Church Street may be selling counterfeit goods a test purchase was carried out at the premises in May 2023.
During this visit the tester was able to purchase a fake Chanel handbag and Nike leggings.
In August 2023 the premises was visited again by Trading Standards and officers from the GMP taskforce Operation Vulcan. During this visit a total of 1,520 counterfeit items were seized. They included fake designer clothing, shoes, sunglasses and football shirts.
It is estimated the value of these items, were they genuine, would have been at least £155,674,
Following this operation Hamza Ali Ahmed, 32, of St Werburgh’s Road, Manchester, was interviewed on two occasions, on behalf of Retro Menswear Limited and separately as the director of the company. In both instances Ahmed blamed another person for the sale of these items, and that they had subsequently left the country for Portugal.
Ahmed pleaded guilty to 21 charges of possession of goods bearing a false trademark at a previous hearing held on August 21, 2025.
At a sentencing hearing held at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday, October 2, 2025, Ahmed was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months.
He will also be required to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work, as well as 15 rehabilitation days.
He was also ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £128 and £1,200. In addition, the seized goods we ordered to be fortified and destroyed.
