Landlord and tenant dispute leads to illegal goods discovery

A row between a landlord and tenant has led to the discovery of more than £2m worth of illegal goods.

Items including illegal vapes, counterfeit clothing and cosmetics have been seized from a commercial property in Bolton, Greater Manchester, after police were called due to a dispute between a landlord and their tenant.

Trading Standards officers were called on 5 June, after police spotted the goods, which had an estimated street value of more than £2m.

The haul was later removed, filling three 40-tonne lorries.

Cllr Robert Morrisey said Bolton Council was working with Greater Manchester Police and partner agencies as an investigation into the incident continues.

Morrisey said: "This was a significant operation involving the seizure of a large quantity of suspected illegal goods.

"Due to the ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment further at this stage."

Trading Standards officers were called by police to assess the legitimacy of the products found during enforcement action at the premises.

Officers then discovered a wide range of suspected illicit items, including perfumes, clothing, cosmetics, and products associated with the production of perfumes and vapes.

Three 40-tonne lorry loads of items have since been removed from the site as part of ongoing investigations, the council confirmed.

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