Hunt for fraud gang as cops find record £87m of fake gear

A NETWORK of counterfeiters is being pursued by police after officers seized a record £87million haul of knock-off dangerous goods.

- Chris Riches

More than 500 tons of clothes, drugs, illicit tobacco, nitrous oxide canisters and vapes were discovered by Greater Manchester Police in 207 shipping containers at a storage unit.

GMP said the seizure was the largest in the UK and the biggest in Europe in almost two decades.

It took teams of officers 14 days to break into all the containers at the unit, tucked away on the outskirts of Cheetham Hill, central Manchester.

Some 580 tons were found as part of the Operation Vulcan crackdown on gangs and shops involved in selling bogus goods in the city.

GMP said: "The total loss to the criminal's pockets equates to a staggering £87million. The search warrants were developed from a covert operation and intelligence from the community and partners and saw a combination of over 100 officers and multiple agencies working together.

Exploitation

"An intensive investigation is now underway to trace where these items originated and to ensure those involved are arrested.

"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." 

Branding experts and Lighthouse Security, which securely recycles such hauls, have joined police teams at the scene over the past two weeks.