The trading standards team at Rochdale Borough Council has disrupted a criminal counterfeit goods operation worth up to £65m a year.

In January, the council seized illegal tobacco, cigarettes and vapes discovered in a number of shops. During these operations, two men – who were ‘acting suspiciously’ – were questioned.

These men were found to be connected to 10 storage containers that were located throughout Rochdale. These containers were holding high-value counterfeit items, including clothing, shoes, handbags, jewellery, perfumes, watches and cosmetic fillers.

Over two days, approximately 60,000 items were seized, with a retail value estimated at £9m.

Rochdale council’s trading standards team proceeded to investigate a local trader who was soon revealed to be part of a large distribution network of counterfeit goods across the UK.

The trader had been sending 300 to 500 parcels per day through a courier network from unknown premises in the Manchester area. The council intercepted some of the parcels, which contained counterfeit products.

The council’s trading standards team soon discovered that shipments of 11 containers had been going out six days a week for a significant period of time. The street value of these counterfeit items was calculated to be over £1m per week, or more than £65m per year.

Many of the items were subsequently seized with assistance from the police, the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU), Lighthouse Security and Manchester City Council trading standards team.

The seized items filled three 40ft containers, with an estimated retail value of £15m.

Cllr Neil Emmott, leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: ‘Our trading standards team need to be highly commended for their tremendous efforts. They have worked above and beyond their normal daily duties to physically seize counterfeit items worth millions of pounds and disrupted a counterfeit network worth over £65m per year.

‘What people may not realise is that apart from often being dangerous and always inferior, these goods are funding organised crime. These traders do not pay taxes, maybe illegally claiming benefits and put genuine local traders who abide by the rules, out of business.

‘You may think you have bagged a bargain, but by funding organised crime you have assisted crime gangs who are responsible for forced labour, drugs, human trafficking, prostitution and child labour.’