Have you ever wondered where fake designer goods seized my authorities end up? Authorities in many countries destroy the items, but for one police force, the option of wasting a giant haul recovered in a recent raid seemed a little counter-intuitive.
Instead, officers in the UK city of Manchester donated 1,000 tonnes of fake designer clothing to the homeless following a large-scale operation.
Dubbed ‘Operation Vulcan’, police shut down more than 100 fake designer shops in the city. Many of the shops were selling fake designer clothes, Rolex watches and even house cannabis farms.
Almost 1,000 tonnes of counterfeit items were recovered and have now been repurposed or recycled, with the counterfeit designer labels removed to debrand them. Items that are unsuitable or unsafe were shredded to create new items such as bedding or blankets.
Packaging and boxes that the items are sold in have even been recycled into insulation for houses.
Greater Manchester Police donated hundreds of items of clothes to a local anti-poverty charity that works to combat poverty, inequality, and homelessness in Manchester.
“The community and their needs are at the heart of Operation Vulcan and the fact that we have been able to repurpose and recycle everything and give it back to those in need really makes a difference,” Inspector Dan Cullum said.
“This donation is gratefully received and will now be provided to those who need it most such as those sleeping on the streets, low-income families and those who are most vulnerable in the community,” the charity the Mustard Tree said.
”We can’t thank them enough.”
Homelessness is on the rise in the UK thanks to the cost-of-living crisis, and more and more people can be found living on the streets in Australia as rental costs continue to rise.
Disturbing video from Brisbane’s West End last week revealed dozens of tents lining the river path, with experts saying the rental crisis has reached “disaster levels”.
– Jam Press
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
Credit: Source link