Salford City Council Trading Standards Officers, working with Greater Manchester Police as part of the Operation Vulcan initiative, have seized approximately £1m of illicit and counterfeit vapes from a Cheetham Hill shop.
The products were discovered behind a hidden door on the premises. When Officers opened the door during a search on 16 September, they found an entire room containing thousands of illicit goods.
Greater Manchester Police Sergeant Joseph Dunne from Operation Vulcan said: “I hope this activity sends a clear message to those seeking to exploit the area with their criminal enterprises; Operation Vulcan and the local neighbourhood team remain in the area to ensure no criminality can creep back in after our relentless pursuit and clear out of the destructive counterfeit trade.
The vapes were found in a hidden room (image credit: Greater Manchester Police)
“This seizure today is a great result for Operation Vulcan and our partners as it means thousands of potentially harmful products have been taken off the streets of Greater Manchester. Our joint activity will continue as a show of strength to the criminals, and to reassure the community that we remain committed to protecting them.”
Councillor Barbara Bentham, Salford City Council lead member for environment and community safety, said: “The seizure and removal of the illegal vapes is a clear message to all wholesalers and retailers that we do not tolerate this type of criminal activity and will continue to work with GMP and partners, to eradicate any further incidents.
“Supplying illegal vapes and tobacco products to the public undermines our efforts to protect our communities and helps to fund a variety of criminal activities. It can undercut and undermine the reputation of our local retailers who operate legally to provide goods and services across the city.”
Operation Vulcan was launched in November 2022 with the goal of tackling the organised crime gangs operating in the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways areas of Manchester. The areas were notorious as hotspots for counterfeit goods, the UK market for which is estimated by National Trading Standards to be worth £8.6bn per year. Cheetham Hill is believed to be linked to almost 50% of this trade, earning it the title of the ‘UK’s counterfeiting capital’.
According to Greater Manchester Police, enforcement activities taking place as part of Operation Vulcan and its partners have decimated the network of counterfeit shops in the area and drastically restricted the counterfeit trade.
