During a series of operations spanning over 12 months, Bolton Council’s trading standards team have seized more than £200,000 worth of counterfeit goods.
The huge haul is a result of numerous focused interventions undertaken by the team to target criminal networks that peddle both counterfeit and illicit goods in Bolton.
Products seized include illegal tobacco, fake alcohol, counterfeit clothing, cosmetics, unsafe children’s toys and shisha pipes from a number of business premises throughout the borough.
Investigations have concluded that all the goods were illegal for sale in the UK and as a result, the council’s trading standards team have successfully removed harmful products from sale and supply. All the illegal goods will now be destroyed.
Deputy Leader of Bolton Council, Cllr Hilary Fairclough said: “Thanks to thorough investigations by our trading standards team, this vast amount of counterfeit goods has been removed from the streets.
“This sends a clear message that illegal activities will not be tolerated.
“Counterfeit and illicit goods can be dangerous and unsafe for buyers as they rarely comply with proper safety requirements. The sale of counterfeit and illicit goods also undermines legitimate local businesses.
“You might think you are buying a bargain, but you are just giving money to criminals and potentially putting yourself at risk.
“Buying counterfeit and illicit goods encourages the types of traders and businesses we want to keep out of Bolton and strengthens the hold criminals have in our communities. We urge people to think twice before they buy such goods.
“The trading standards department are focussed on disrupting these businesses into 2022 but as ever we are reliant on good quality information from members of the public who will no longer tolerate the way illegal goods affect our borough.”
If you know where counterfeit goods are being sold, you can report it to trading standards by emailing trading.standards@bolton.gov.uk