Cheetham Hill, a suburb of Manchester, has emerged as the "vape capital of Britain," with 54 vape businesses concentrated on just two streets. This transformation follows a four-year police operation, Operation Vulcan, which successfully dismantled criminal gangs and shut down hundreds of counterfeit goods stores in the area.
Operation Vulcan, launched in autumn 2022 by Greater Manchester Police (GMP), targeted Cheetham Hill, which was previously known as a hub for counterfeit products, drugs, firearms, and human trafficking. By 2024, GMP had closed 216 counterfeit stores, arrested 238 individuals, and seized significant quantities of cash, counterfeit goods, drugs, and illicit vapes. Police reported a substantial decrease in violent crime and public order offenses, with a 50 percent reduction in these categories.
However, the success in combating crime has inadvertently created a void filled by the vape industry. The closure of numerous shops led to a 30 percent dip in customer footfall for traditional businesses. Local business owners have noted a significant shift, with one takeaway shop owner stating, "Before, our takeaway shop was very busy. But now, we are a little bit quiet. Now it’s all mobile shops and vape shops."
Harris Street and Overbridge Road, the epicenters of this change, now host a dense cluster of vape wholesalers. Businesses like Dreamchasers, Xhale, and Blue Horse operate alongside dozens of others, selling a wide array of vape products. According to Kamran Akhtar, manager at The Vape Boyz on Harris Street, Cheetham Hill has become the largest vape market in Europe, attracting buyers from across the United Kingdom and even from Scotland.
Retailers in Cheetham Hill report that a substantial portion of the vapes sold originate from China, with up to 80 percent of the world's vapes produced there. This influx has led to Chinese companies actively engaging with local businesses, offering products and even subsidizing advertising on shopfronts, effectively lowering rent costs and ensuring no shop remains vacant. This practice has drawn criticism, with concerns raised about the potential for Chinese-manufactured "smart vapes" to have internet connectivity and pose data security risks.
Despite the reduction in overt criminality and improved safety, many local residents express frustration with the proliferation of vape shops. "It's better than it was but you still get lots of dodgy people turning up in vans," said Sue Bolton, a local resident. "We need other shops here, not just vape ones." Concerns have also been voiced by politicians regarding the lack of planning control over the rapid increase in vape businesses, allowing them to replace a wider variety of retail establishments.
While the vape shops themselves are not accused of illegal activity, the wider issue of illicit vape sales continues to be a challenge for law enforcement in the region. Authorities have issued closure orders for shops found selling illegal vapes and tobacco, a problem exacerbated by the popularity of single-use vapes, which the government has moved to restrict.
The area's transformation highlights an unintended consequence of a successful law enforcement operation, shifting a focus from organized crime to a new, highly concentrated retail sector with international ties.