MANCHESTER: Knock-off goods worth more than £1.5m pounds have been seized during raids near Manchester city centre.
The counterfeit items were recovered after police stormed 14 shops in the Strangeways area.
Officers found clothing, handbags, beauty products and jewellery during the swoop on Tuesday, September 29, as part of Operation Rogue Trader. No arrests have yet been made.
Sgt Darren Thomason said: “The warrants executed are seen as part of a large scale multi-agency approach in combating those dealing in counterfeit goods. These practices have a far reaching impact on many facets of people’s lives.
“The Strangeways area is one of the largest counterfeit goods suppliers in the UK and the sale of such products has a huge impact on the local tax payer and businesses.
“Today we send a message that these will no longer be tolerated.”
Between September and November last year, fake designer goods worth £6m were seized during similar raids in Strangeways and Cheetham Hill. Anyone with information about counterfeit goods should phone police on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
