The colossal scale of a factory set up to add brand logos to fake clothing was revealed today. As reported in the Manchester Evening News, premises on Peel Lane, off Cheetham Hill Road, were raided by police who uncovered machinery to add labels to counterfeit goods being sold in illegitimate shops in nearby Strangeways.
But police now say several linked units at the site were being used for the mass-production of fake designer goods in "exploitative conditions". In an operation led by City of London Police’s Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), nineteen people were detained and around 150 tonnes of counterfeit designer clothing, accessories and footwear were seized.
In a statement the PIPCU said: "The value of these items is still being ascertained, but is thought to be in the millions."
READ MORE: Manchester council wants to SHUT Strangeways prison and move it out of city
Officers raided seven units inside a warehouse on Peel Lane on Wednesday and Thursday this week supported by GMP, the North West Intellectual Property Crime Unit (NWPIPCU), Manchester City Council and Immigration Services.
Three of the units were set up as factories to fix counterfeit designer logos, badges and tags onto unbranded items. They also contained mattresses and kitchen equipment, and it is believed that the factories operated on a 24-hour basis.
Detective Chief Inspector Gary Robinson, of City of London Police's PIPCU, said: "We regularly see links between the counterfeit goods trade and organised crime, and consumers who buy fake designer goods have no way of knowing the conditions in which they were made or what the sales of these goods will fund.
“The conditions we found in this factory highlight that those who coordinate the production of counterfeit goods have little regard for the welfare of the people who make them, and choose to prioritise their own financial gain.
“We urge the public to think twice before buying counterfeit designer goods, particularly while many people are purchasing gifts in the run up to Christmas, and will continue to work with our partners to clamp down on those who produce and sell them.”
Two of the people detained by police were interviewed and have since been released under investigation.
The Strangeways area of Bury New Road where the goods were heading is a nest of criminality according to GMP, with links to 33 organised crime groups. The force has vowed to close down, compulsory purchase, and ultimately demolish buildings being used to flog hooky clothing, perfume, accessories, and illicit prescription drugs.
In a series of raids in the last five weeks in the district, Operation Vulcan officers from GMP have already recovered illicit prescription drug worth millions of pounds from one shop; seized 20 tonnes of knock-off clothing; and come down hard on rogue drivers, prosecuting 33 people for speed offences, seizing 26 vehicles.
A relentless pursuit of those involved in the sale of counterfeit goods in the area is now being run continually after a commitment by Chief Constable, Stephen Watson, to tackle the issue which has existed for decades. It is part of a Manchester City Council masterplan to flatten the area - close Strangeways Prison, and create a new gateway to the city.
