Police seize £400,000 worth of illicit cigarettes in Manchester

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 11 Oct, 17:13 · Archive

Police seized more than 20,000 packets of counterfeit cigarettes valued at £400,000 from two vans in Manchester.

Police seized illicit cigarettes valued at about £400,000 after stopping two suspicious vans in the Harpurhey area of Manchester at around 19:00 on Saturday, 10 October. Officers discovered more than 20,000 packets of suspected counterfeit cigarettes, each containing 20 cigarettes.

A 48-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of smuggled goods and remains in custody for questioning. Greater Manchester Police, HMRC and Trading Standards have launched a joint investigation into the seizure.

Detective Chief Inspector Pete Morley described the seizure as a 'significant result'. He warned that counterfeit cigarettes may contain materials and substances not normally included in legitimate products, increasing health risks to users. Morley also noted that the illegal selling of counterfeit goods can involve wider criminality including exploitation, theft and violence.

How it is being reported

• Man arrested over £400k illicit cigarette haulMore than 20,000 packets each containing 20 suspected counterfeit cigarettes were found in two vans.BBC Manchester · 11 Oct, 16:46
• The £400,000 haul of illegal cigarettes discovered in two 'suspicious' vansPolice pulled over the vans in HarpurheyManchester Evening News · 11 Oct, 16:23

In this story: Greater Manchester Police · HMRC · Trading Standards · Harpurhey · Manchester · Pete Morley

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