Police have revealed 20 tonnes of fake items - including 'hundreds' of illegal vapes, were seized earlier this week in raids on 'some of the last remaining shops' selling goods on Manchester's 'Counterfeit Street'.
A detective said just 'a few' units were now continuing to trade in the Cheetham Hill and Strangeways areas - and vowed: "We will be targeting these premises imminently and as the shops start to disappear, we will be targeting those higher up the chain who for so long have felt above the law and out of reach."
The development marks the latest success of Greater Manchester Police's Operation Vulcan drive to dismantle the infamous trade in counterfeit clothing and goods along Bury New Road.
The Manchester Evening News told this week how police believe child refugees have been put to work in shops having been recruited by criminals. In the sinister development, it was revealed some of the 33 organised crime gangs linked to the district have groomed children - who came to the country as asylum seekers - and put them to work in shops and in county lines drugs enterprises.
The vulnerable youngsters have been placed in a dangerous environment, in which gangs work with each other to supply fake clothing, perfume and illicit prescription drugs - but have also turned on each other, triggering violence.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Greater Manchester Police said Operation Vulcan was drawing ever closer to bringing about the end of 'Counterfeit Street'.
The force said warrants were executed on four buildings in and around Harris Street, off Bury New Road, on Wednesday, in which 12 units were found 'masquerading as legitimate shops'.
GMP said: "Operation Vulcan descended on Harris Street targeting what are believed to be some of the last remaining shops selling counterfeit goods in Cheetham Hill and Strangeways.
"Approximately 20 tonnes of counterfeit items were seized whilst officers from trading standards turned out in support of the operation and seized hundreds of illegal vapes from one of the units."
Detectives said they would now hunt those running the units.
Sergeant Daniel Cullum said: “These warrants are yet another success for Operation Vulcan. The work doesn't stop here however and the investigation to seek out and arrest those who have been distributing and selling counterfeit items from these units is now in motion.
"We had great support from our partner agencies throughout the day – including Immigration Enforcement, Manchester City Council Trading Standards, Anti Counterfeit Group ambassadors and internal departments such a Tactical Aid Unit and local neighbourhood policing teams.
"Our multi-agency approach is designed to target every level of criminality and protect the most vulnerable people who are being exploited.
"The sheer volume of counterfeit items that we have seized this week is worth millions of pounds to criminal enterprises. All these goods will now be re-purposed, recycled, and changed into usable items for the community.
"We have had amazing success in stamping out these counterfeit stores but there are a few units remaining that are still attempting to operate in the area. We will be targeting these premises imminently and as the shops start to disappear, we will be targeting those higher up the chain who for so long have felt above the law and out of reach."
The district in which the counterfeiters and criminals have enterprises takes in Strangeways, half a mile from the city, but also stretches into Cheetham Hill and parts of bordering Salford with back alleys of warehouses, industrial units, and buildings converted into warrens of multiple shops.
Since late autumn, police have been relentlessly cracking down on the illegal trade. From a starting point of more than 200 counterfeit shops around Great Ducie Street and Bury New Road, police believe the number remaining is now 'in the low tens'. An estimated £40m-worth of fake goods have been seized.
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