Cops 'cut off the head of the snake' as warehouse busted

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Police busted a huge warehouse in Cheetham Hill and seized £1.2MILLION-worth of fakes inside. Specialist officers on GMP's Operation Vulcan raided the premises on Great Ducie Street yesterday (Wednesday) after receiving intelligence it was being used to supply to counterfeit shops in the area.

Officers said the items seized from inside were worth more than £1m. They used a conveyor belt after bagging and boxing up the fakes to move them into waiting vehicles.

Police said the bust will 'make a huge dent in the supply chain by cutting off the head of the snake'. READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community More than 15 departments, teams, organisations and partner representatives were involved in the raid - including from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Intellectual Property Office, Trading Standards, Brand Experts and Border Force.

The building was also issued with a prohibition order after fire crews raised concerns over its safety. Inspector Andy Torkington said: "The network of counterfeit stores in Cheetham Hill might seem chaotic and disorganised but this is far from the truth.