Illegal alcohol seized

Some of the counterfeit alcohol taken off the streets of Rochdale

More than 4,000 litres of counterfeit alcohol has been taken off the streets of Rochdale after a council-led operation to disrupt a criminal gang supplying local stores.

Raids on industrial units in Rochdale and off licences across the borough resulted in the confiscation of 3,398 litres of illicit wine, 929 litres of beer and 48 litres of fake vodka.

The operation came after an intelligence gathering operation lasting months. It was carried out by the Partnership Enforcement Team which includes officers from the council and police and worked with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), who estimate that the sale of the products would have cost the Treasury almost £12,000 in lost tax revenue.

It has removed a significant amount of drink that is considered to be a serious health risk, and taken funds away from criminal gangs who are likely to have used the money generated by the sale of the fake goods to fund other illegal activity.

The council and HMRC will now pursue prosecutions against the organisations targeted.

The Partnership Enforcement Team, which also works with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and other enforcement agencies, has carried out more than 160 joint operations since its launch early last year.

The council has also taken more than 10,000 fake cigarettes out of circulation during raids this year.

Councillor Daalat Ali, Rochdale Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Community, said: “Getting this amount of illicit alcohol off the streets of our borough is a significant success for the council and its partners. Any other businesses thinking of stocking these products should think again as we will always pursue prosecutions where possible.”