Police seized more than £40,000 worth of fake designer clothes, shoes and bags from a market in east Manchester.
Officers visited two stalls on Smithfield Market in Openshaw on Sunday (March 3) after they 'received intelligence' that fake gear was being sold. At one stall, they seized 17 large bags of counterfeit clothing and footwear - which was worth around £6,800.
At another stall, officers seized 69 huge bags of fake clothing and 48 large boxes of counterfeit footwear. This would be worth around £33,360, police said.
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The items will now be repurposed, with any suitable clothes, shoes or bags set to be donated to homeless charities. Police urged shoppers to stay away from buying fake designer clothing and not 'waste money on something that is harmful'.
Inspector Dan Cullum of Operation Vulcan at GMP, who carried out the crackdown Manchester Trading Standards and with the support of management at Smithfield Market, said: "I am pleased the joint action on Sunday has taken out yet another counterfeit operation in Manchester.
"I urge members of the public to steer clear of buying counterfeit items - at best you will waste your money on a sub-standard product, at worst you may purchase something that is harmful. Counterfeit items are unregulated, and the counterfeiters have no regard for your health and safety.
"You also don’t know what your money is funding – this is often the tip of the iceberg and the people running counterfeit operations are also often involved in far more nefarious crime from human exploitation to drugs. Please spend your hard-earned money elsewhere.”
Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods said: "We are determined to leave no corner of the city untouched in our resolve to rid the streets of counterfeit goods. Counterfeit crime is not victimless.
"It causes genuine and long-lasting harm to our communities and I would ask our residents, even in these difficult times, not to put money into the hands of criminals for the sake of a bargain."
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