Police make three more arrests down ‘Counterfeit Street’ amid bulldozing plans

Police have made three more arrests down the notorious ‘Counterfeit Street’ amid plans to bulldoze the area.

Earlier this week, it was announced that the buildings on Bury New Road in the Strangeways area will be closed, compulsory purchased, and then flattened as part of a new operation known as ‘Operation Vulcan’.

At around 12:30pm yesterday, officers from the Operation Vulcan team made an impromptu stop at a firework shop down Lockett Street, Strangeways, to make sure what was being sold was legitimate and safe.

The shop, which was burgled two days prior, was instead found to be holding twenty tonnes of counterfeit goods. Officers also found the boards which had previously been put in place to secure the building had been removed.

Officers entered the property and found three males inside. They have all been arrested for burglary and remain in custody for questioning.

Detective Superintendent Neil Blackwood, who is heading Operation Vulcan, said: “This is a great example of why the Vulcan approach is so important. Criminality creeps back very quickly and only by us and our partners being present day in day out are we able to change the area for the long term.

“Let this be a stark reminder to those who want to continue with their violent and abhorrent acts of criminality in this area, Wednesday’s seizure was not a one off.

“Our officers will be working relentlessly to rid Cheetham Hill of the prolific criminals, making it an environment for legitimate business to thrive.”

GMP

The decision to bulldoze part of Bury New Road came after the force established thirty-three organised crime gangs that had links to the area, which has been notorious for not only the sale of counterfeit goods, but also for illegal immigration, modern-day slavery, human trafficking and women being forced to work as sex workers.

According to police, these gangs each have links to mass money laundering, firearms, drugs, modern-day slavery, immigration – ‘anything that will give them a profit’.

Buildings down Bury New Road have also been known to house cannabis farms, with residents commonly selling prescription drugs and other illegal substances.