More than 70 tonnes of counterfeit goods have been seized in two days as officers search huge metal containers in north Manchester. Police will be on-site at Honey Street, Cheetham Hill, throughout the week as they search for fakes and illicit drugs.
They have already uncovered a huge amount of hooky gear, seizing items in the first 48 hours since arriving on the site at 7am on Monday (June 21). Greater Manchester Police told the Manchester Evening News yesterday that 137 containers are being searched in the current site, before further containers are checked on an adjacent yard.
In the past, these goods found would have been moved across to the 'counterfeit street' shops of Strangeways, but Operation Vulcan has rocked the area's 'grey market' - with the number of counterfeit stores down from more than 200 to 'one or two', according to GMP. The items found this week are believed to have been destined for online sales or counterfeit shops further afield.
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The latest work follows the 414 tonnes of counterfeit goods which had previously been seized since Vulcan began last autumn. But thanks to the work of Lighthouse Security, which receives the items following GMP raids, the dodgy gear is repurposed and recycled into sustainable items - avoiding landfill.
"Working with Operation Vulcan I really feel like we’ve been able to revolutionise the way police and partners tackle the counterfeit trade," said Tim Jenson, owner of Lighthouse Security. "Previously, counterfeit items seized by police in raids may have gone to landfill or gone to waste - but I knew we could do better.
"My team have taken a holistic view, so where appropriate, items can be repurposed, rebranded, and donated to charities and homeless shelters. The opportunities are endless. Items deemed to be unsafe are processed and recycled.
"Even the cardboard can be processed and used for livestock bedding. Other items can be shredded or processed and used for pet bedding. Nothing goes to waste."
GMP says there is an 'undeniable link' between the counterfeit trade and organised crime. It's hoped the work that takes place this week will hit criminals financially, with the total recovered by the weekend expected to be worth tens of millions of pounds on the 'grey market'.
Detective Inspector Christian Julien, one of Operation Vulcan’s specialist officers, added: “It’s crucial we continue to tackle [the counterfeit trade] before the funds from these sales can fuel further crime and misery in our communities, and this warrant will have made a huge impact on the criminal network and their pockets, stripping them of millions of pounds of profit.
"This operation will not only disrupt the criminals using lock-up facilities to store their illicit property, but with the help of colleagues at CSI, it’s supplying a wealth of information and forensics that will be fully investigated as we continue to target those higher up the supply chain.”
