Bury Council, alongside Greater Manchester Police and Home Office partners, staged a major blitz on illegal tobacco and vape sales across the borough. Operation Avro slammed the brakes on the underground trade, seizing thousands of counterfeit products and safeguarding local communities.
Big Bust: Thousands of Illegal Goods Nabbed
On 16 April, officers swooped on seven premises across Bury, uncovering a staggering stash of illicit contraband:
- 627 packets of illegal cigarettes (12,540 sticks)
- 95 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco (4.75kg)
- 232 illicit vapes
- 6 packets of shisha
The haul is worth around £15,000 on the black market.
Clever Concealment Exposed
Illegal items were hidden using crafty methods, including secret compartments behind walls, inside pipework, disguised doors, bespoke drawers, and even sneaked into everyday objects like drinks cartons. These tactics reveal a well-organised criminal network at work. Crucially, specialist Wagtail detection dogs sniffed out hidden stock that would have been near impossible for humans to find.
Operation Avro: A Borough-Wide Crime Smash
More than just seizures, the operation involved 16 roadside checks on licensed vehicles and inspections of commercial waste-carrying trucks to ensure compliance. It’s part of GMP’s wider strategy to disrupt organised crime and protect public health.
Bury Council spokesperson: “Operation Avro shows the power of partnership working in Bury. The scale and cunning of these seizures highlight why we must keep up the fight against those who threaten our communities. Huge thanks to all officers and partners for their dedication during this complex operation.”
Follow-up investigations are underway using national intelligence to track the criminal networks behind the illicit trade. Bury Council pledges to keep working with GMP and partners to keep the borough safe and protect residents from harm.
