Police in Greater Manchester have seized over 580 tonnes of counterfeit items, a record haul in UK history and the largest single seizure in Europe in almost two decades.
The total loss to the criminal’s pockets equates to a staggering £87 million.
Police seized monumental quantities of counterfeit clothes, drugs, illicit tobacco, Nitrous Oxide canisters and counterfeit vapes from a storage unit tucked away on the outskirts of Cheetham Hill.
Not only was this the largest seizure of counterfeit goods in UK history, but it’s believed to be one of the largest single seizures worldwide raiding 207 shipping containers.
Detective Inspector Christian Julien, one of Operation Vulcan’s specialist officers 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.
“I’d like to thank each and every officer from across the force who came out to support the operation, and our partner agencies who have diligently contributed to the intelligence gathering and execution. At its heart, Operation Vulcan is a partnership effort, and everything we have achieved is down to the unrelenting efforts of our team and the unwavering support from partners.
“This may be our largest raid to date, but we must continue to build on these efforts to identify the criminal networks behind this activity whose only concern is making a profit, no matter what the cost is to the public.”
Phil Lewis, Director General at the Anti-Counterfeiting Group said: “This is one of the largest recorded seizures of counterfeit goods worldwide and has prevented an enormous financial gain for the organised crime groups involved. Counterfeiting is a 21st century crime wave which destroys communities and legitimate businesses, causes an estimated 86,000 job losses per year, denies the country of much needed money for vital public services, and presents evermore dangerous products on the UK market. The exemplary work by Operation Vulcan and partners is vital in counteracting this growing national threat.”
