Trading standards officers at Bolton Council have seized a significant quantity of suspected illegal goods following an enforcement operation at a commercial premises in the borough.
Officers were called to assist Greater Manchester Police (GMP) on 5 June after concerns were raised during a landlord and tenant dispute. During the visit, authorities identified a large quantity of goods stored on site, including a substantial number of vapes.
Trading standards attended to assess the legitimacy of the products and discovered a wide range of suspected illicit items, including perfumes, clothing, cosmetics, and large volumes of chemicals and liquids associated with the manufacture of vapes and fragrance products.
The seized goods are estimated to have a street value of more than £2 million.
Three 40-tonne lorry loads of items have since been removed from the site as part of ongoing investigations.
Cllr Robert Morrisey, Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, said:
“This was a significant operation involving the seizure of a large quantity of suspected illegal goods.
“We are working closely with Greater Manchester Police and partner agencies as investigations continue.
“Due to the ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment further at this stage.”