Children who have gone missing from asylum seeker hotels in England have been found working in Manchester's "counterfeit street", police have said.
The chief constable of Greater Manchester Police said a handful of missing children had been found working for Cheetham Hill crime gangs.
Stephen Watson said his force had shut down 79 shops and seized 254 tonnes of fake goods over the last three months.
"We have a nexus of organised crime in that part of the city," he added.
An operation began last year to target criminal gangs who deal drugs, run counterfeit shops and control prostitution on Bury New Road near HMP Manchester which has been nicknamed "counterfeit street".
Mr Watson said Cheetham Hill had attracted hundreds of illegal immigrants both adults and children.
The children found by the force's Operation Vulcan are now under the radar of social services.
Mr Watson explained: "The first our partners in social services hear about these children is when we present them to social services.
"It is egregious and is an affront to all of us which is why we are so challenging with Vulcan."