The ‘fake trade’ run by gangs where exploited workers escape via tunnels and leave shoppers trapped behind shutters
1 March 2023, 08:04 | Updated: 1 March 2023, 08:55
The 'Counterfeit Capital of Europe', where shoppers risk violence, sexual assault and captivity, has been reduced to a handful of half-empty shops after a massive police crackdown, an LBC investigation has found.
For decades, Cheetham Hill in Manchester has been an epicentre of organised crime.
Shops on these few streets are responsible for half of the £8.6 billion worth of counterfeit goods seized across the UK every year.
There are cabinets full of perfume, watches, headphones, jewellery - all with familiar labels - but they have been superglued on in nearby illegal factories by exploited workers.
The vape-trade has become enormous in this area and can be a front for money laundering.
DS Neil Blackwood told LBC: "We've had people knocked unconscious in the shop by shopkeepers, sexually assaulted, there's running battles in the streets with people with knives."
This is common practice on these streets as gangs wield their power and intimidate bargain hunters.
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It is not unusual to see these shops being shut down at a moment’s notice.
A network of 'spotters' will alert the gangs to the presence of the police and that will result in the shutters being pulled down and workers disappearing down hidden tunnels to get away.
All the while, shoppers are trapped inside and have no way of escaping until they are freed by authorities.
As we carried out a raid on one of the shops, DCI Jen Kelly told LBC: "Customers are being intimidated with weapons, to keep quiet, not to shout and not to raise people's attentions. People take risks when they come here.
"We're finding weapons easy to hand. Behind the doors, under the counters, and they're really intimidating organised crime groups, locking people in for significant periods of time.
"There's no fire escapes, no toilet facilities, no means of getting out if you have a medical episode, or you need to pick your kids up from school. They will not let you out for fear of being arrested by police.
"In the next road to here, a month ago, we freed a small five year old child who had been locked inside a shop by these criminals with a lot of other customers.
"The child was petrified. We freed him and his dad. He was five years old, absolutely scared to death.
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"This is the risk people are willing to accept and, you've got violence, sexual assault, they'll trap you inside.
"There's a lot of trapdoors, tunnels, emergency exits so they can get in and out."
DS Neil Blackwood added: "It is entirely unsafe, not complying with building regs or fire regs, anything like that. If you're locked in here with the front door shut, you're entering a death trap.
"They (the gangs) will know we're here. They'll have internal CCTV, they've got the alarms, they've got a spotter network making calls, they've got a WhatsApp group."
Inside the shop there is a lot of stock in boxes - the owners knew it was only a matter of time before the police shut them down. Instead the product will move online to be sold there instead.
Within the four buildings raided, police uncovered 12 separate shops and seized 20 tonnes of counterfeit goods and hundreds of illegal vapes.
When Greater Manchester Police’s Operation Vulcan began last November, there were 206 counterfeit shops. Now there are believed to be fewer than 10.
