Twenty tonnes of hooky clothing were seized by police as they began a drive to demolish Manchester's Counterfeit Street. Two lorry loads of fake T-shirts; jackets; and trainers, were seized. There were even piles of the famous yellow Selfridges bags recovered, meant for customers to carry their dodgy purchases in.
As revealed in the Manchester Evening News the region's new Chief Constable, Stephen Watson, has ordered that a cluster of shops at the bottom of Bury New Road near the city centre should be flattened as they are nest of criminality. GMP's Operation Vulcan working with Manchester City Council will seek closure orders and complusory purchase orders, then the buildings will be bulldozed.
Police intelligence has linked 33 organised crime groups from throughout the UK to the stores. It is believed their oepration is linked to drug dealing, enforced prostitution, cannabis farms, and slave-labour.
