A massive counterfeit operation believed to be tied to an organised crime gang from Cheetham Hill has been uncovered in Rochdale, with Police and Trading Standards seizing fake goods estimated to be worth around £6 million.
The dramatic raid took place on the afternoon of Thursday 1 May, when officers from Greater Manchester Police’s Rochdale Neighbourhood Policing Team and Trading Standards descended on a business park on Crown Top Lane in Castleton. Intelligence had suggested that a gang known for counterfeit trading in Cheetham Hill had expanded into the borough.
The operation led to the discovery of seven industrial units packed with fake branded items, including designer trainers, perfumes, tech goods, luxury accessories and illicit cigarettes. Two men, aged 70 and 29, were arrested at the scene on suspicion of possessing and controlling counterfeit goods. They have been bailed pending further investigation.
Due to the scale of the haul, police secured the site overnight and returned the following day with a heavy goods vehicle to remove the counterfeit stock.
Inspector Anthony Taylor from GMP said:
“Officers from our Neighbourhood Policing Team, alongside partners from Trading Standards, discovered various high-end counterfeit goods to the estimated value of £6 million. We take any intelligence submitted by the public seriously and act upon it accordingly.”
This bust forms part of a wider strategy to clamp down on organised crime in the Castleton area. It also shines a spotlight once again on the notorious Cheetham Hill counterfeit network, which has long been associated with fake designer goods flooding northern markets.
In the past financial year alone, GMP has seized more than £17.7 million in cash and assets from organised criminal activity across Greater Manchester. Under the Asset Recovery Incentivisation Scheme, a portion of this is reinvested in local communities to repair the harm caused by crime.
The public is being urged to remain vigilant and report any information related to counterfeit trading or organised crime by contacting police on 101 or using GMP’s online LiveChat service.
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