On Thursday 21 August 2025 together with a team from the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU)

raided eBay “quality vendor” screen printer / manufacturing facility in Manchester

Investigations started in 2023 where we made a covert visit and recorded

them manufacturing, despite official warnings from Manchester

Trading Standards they continued trading on eBay. Search warrants were

executed at the business premises and a residential address in

Manchester after intelligence indicated that they were

producing and distributing counterfeit merchandise.

Although a “print to order” facility, around 350 items were seized from

the business premises and later confirmed to be trademark-

infringing goods. Investigators established that the business

had generated an annual turnover of more than £200,000 – a

large proportion of which can be attributed to the sale of fake

music t-shirts.

The owner was arrested taken away in handcuffs and

interviewed under caution, where he admitted distributing

goods bearing false trademarks. The eBay site has been taken

down.