Child refugees have been put to work on Manchester's infamous 'Counterfeit Street' having been recruited by criminals, police revealed as another five shops were raided and shut in the notorious hooky gear hotspot.
In a 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. Operation Vulcan - launched in late October by GMP to stamp out hooky businesses on Bury New Road near the city centre - is uncovering back the sheer depth of the criminality associated with them.
