Legal News

Stockport Trading Standards and Greater Manchester Police (GMP) have seized more than 1,000 bottles of alcohol from a licensed premise in Stockport, Greater Manchester.

Stockport Council says that the 1,038 bottles of wine were most likely to have been purchased from a “man in a van”, as an attempt to evade payment of duty and customs.

Investigations are ongoing by Trading Standards officers into the origin of the illicit alcohol seized, as the contents and origin of the wine cannot be established, as required by law.

The visit to the licensed premises was part of an ongoing operation within Stockport run by Trading Standards and GMP.

Stockport Council’s Executive Member for Communities and Housing, Councillor Sheila Bailey, said:

“Our Trading Standards officers are working hard to keep illegal products off the streets – and are cracking down on the businesses and individuals who flout the law.

“Illicit alcohol products seized during routine visits and operations prove the importance of joint initiatives – we hope these latest successful partnerships will act as a deterrent to those who feel they can operate above the law.”

In addition to having their stock confiscated, offenders could face unlimited fines and up to ten years in prison.

The council says that the money made from the illicit trade of alcohol and tobacco costs taxpayers about £2 billion per year in lost revenue – and is known to fund organised crime networks and criminal gang activity.

Duncan Lewis Criminal Lawyers

Duncan Lewis criminal lawyers can advise at any stage of a public protection offence, including charges involving selling illicit alcohol or tobacco products, selling counterfeit goods, weights and measures issues, mislabelling offences, food hygiene breaches, selling restricted items to minors and breaches of health and safety regulations.

There are Duncan Lewis offices nationwide and in most major cities – and Duncan Lewis can advise on police raids and premises inspections by Trading Standards or local authority fraud teams.

For expert legal advice on public protection offences, call Duncan Lewis criminal lawyers on 0333 772 0409.

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