Cheetham Hill in Manchester has become Britain's 'vape capital' with 54 e-cigarette shops lining two streets, following a police crackdown on counterfeit goods. Harris Street hosts at least 30 vape shops, while Overbridge Road has 24 more, transforming the area into what some call an 'e-cigarette smokers’ paradise'.
The surge in vape shops comes after Greater Manchester Police's Operation Vulcan, launched in 2022, which seized nearly 1,050 tonnes of counterfeit items, shut down 216 shops, and made 238 arrests. The operation also confiscated over £500,000 in cash, 2.4 million class C drugs, and almost 400,000 illicit vapes.
Local residents have expressed concerns about the legitimacy of the businesses, with some suggesting money laundering. One resident said, 'How can all these be legitimate businesses? I wonder what could possibly be going on. I think it’s money laundering.' Another added, 'Cleaned money is taxed money, the government are happy to get their share, so they aren’t going to stop it any time ever.'
However, shop owners deny any wrongdoing. Kamran Akhtar, 48, manager of The Vape Boyz on Harris Street, said, 'People think there is illicit stuff going on because of Cheetham Hill's past, but there really isn’t. There are only vape shops selling vapes legally to corner shops and retailers across the country.' He noted that since Operation Vulcan, about 30% of counterfeit shops closed and vape shops replaced them, with most now operating as wholesalers.
Manchester's trading standards team said they are aware of the vape shop explosion but have no concerns. Akhtar added that retailers from Scotland, Wales, London, Bristol, and Yorkshire come to Manchester to buy vapes, and he believes the area has become safer without counterfeit shops.
