Over one million suspected counterfeit and potentially deadly pills have been seized from Greater Manchester’s streets.
It is linked to the arrest of a driver on suspicion of possession with intent to supply, possession of cannabis and drug driving.
The man was detained following a proactive stop search by Greater Manchester Transport Unity officers in the Broughton area of Salford.
Detective Chief Inspector Jen Kelly said: “This is a fantastic result for our communities. Counterfeit drugs pose a serious risk to vulnerable individuals and the sale of them often fuels the activities of organised crime groups.“
Suspected counterfeit items and a significant quantity of cash were also recovered from the man’s home – where a woman was arrested on suspicion of money laundering.
The search was part of Greater Manchester Police’s Operation Vulcan which is aiming to crack down on criminal activity in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways.
Chief Inspector Kelly continued: “The stop search was a great piece of proactive work by GMP’s Transport Unit.
“The fact this intelligence was fed into our team is really encouraging and shows that cross-force support for Operation Vulcan is growing.
“We are in the early days of the Op Vulcan fight in Strangeways and Cheetham Hill and though we are doing everything we can to build a resilient community, we encourage members of the public to report concerns to us.”
GMP said there are around 33 of counterfeit trade groups operating in the Cheetham Hill area and Strangeways area alone.
Chief Constable Stephen Watson previously spoke about the operation, saying: “Crime in the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways area directly impacts the people who live there – it affects their ability to go about their lives, run legitimate businesses and bring up their children in safety and security.
“The area is infected by criminality and beleaguered by people who commit horrendous acts.
“People tend to think the area is all about counterfeit but there is other more sinister crime operating in Cheetham Hill.
“Career criminals have come to consider themselves immune from personal accountability.
“This dynamic is going to come to a dramatic, purposeful and sustainable stop.”
Image credit: GMP
