AT 6am, officers from Greater Manchester Police burst through the door of the red-brick house.
Shouts of “Police!” echo through the quiet street as they enter the property, searching for the man they suspect of selling deadly vapes to kids via phone app Snapchat.
Dan GriffithsAsh Griffiths, 14, collapsed after puffing on a vape laced with zombie drug spice earlier this month[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaSynthetic cannabis in sweetie-style packs to entice kids – and a lethal-looking blade[/caption]
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaWeapons and drugs seized in Greater Manchester raids[/caption]
They find Omar Abu-Sharkh, 20, at home in Moorside, Oldham — thousands of e-cigs, empty refill bottles and five-litre vats of lethal synthetic drug spice littering the house, along with a machete.
He is cuffed, read his rights and bundled into a police van.
Cops are hopeful they have smashed the operation.
But hours later, the dangerous vapes — touted as containing THC, the psychoactive substance found in cannabis — are for sale again online, tempting kids with popular Tango Ice Blast and Haribo flavours, plus refill vials as big as 200ml.
The terrifying truth, however, is that these e-cig liquids have been mixed with something even more volatile than THC.
Crooks have added in dangerous zombie drug spice — imported in bulk from China — which can hospitalise smokers after just one puff.
‘We are watching’
Callous dealers often target kids with popular flavours, and experts fear children will die if they buy a vape containing the potentially deadly chemical mix.
Police resume their search for the crooks operating the Snapchat channel and, three warrants later, thanks to the dedicated work of two specially trained digital officers, they find the first suspect’s accomplices and shut it down for good.
Team leader Detective Sergeant John Schofield told The Sun: “While we can’t say they were deliberately targeting teens, the nature of the packaging, brands, flavours, and use of Snapchat all attract a younger customer.
“For example, Tango Ice Blast flavour is what you’d get your kids at the cinema for a slushy. They were actively choosing flavours that are popular with children.
“These online criminals think they’re not being noticed as much because they are not out on the street dealing.
“They can just run it from their bedroom, so they don’t feel as visible.
“They’ve got a certain amount of arrogance, but we are watching — and we do find them.”
These online criminals think they’re not being noticed as much because they are not out on the street dealing
Detective Sergeant John Schofield
At court in March this year, Abu-Sharkh pleaded guilty to supplying class B drugs THC and synthetic cannabinoids.
Qais Rasul, 20, and Mohammed Jalal Aftab, 20, both also from Oldham, admitted the same crimes.
During one of the raids, Sufiaan Ali, 20, of Oldham, hurled a missile.
He later pleaded guilty to possession of a readily convertible firearm as well as the drugs charge. All four men are due to be sentenced next week at Manchester crown court.
Dan Griffiths, 40, from South Shields, has seen first-hand the damage spice vapes can cause after his 14-year-old son Ash smoked one earlier this month — and collapsed.
“Ash had no idea what was in it,” Dan revealed. “After a couple of puffs, he collapsed, and his friends were standing there laughing at his reaction.
“Thankfully, a passing nurse saw it and called an ambulance.
“I ran across the estate to get to him. I was worried out of my mind.
“Seeing Ash pass out in the back of the ambulance left me terrified. I had no idea what would happen.
“Since then, he’s had six seizures, and we’re constantly in and out of the hospital. It’s changed his life forever.”
Andy Kelvin / Kelvin MediaDetective Sergeant John Schofield with vials of synthetic cannabis[/caption]
AlamyA man slumped in the streets – showing the signs of taking spice[/caption]
NNPSince smoking a spiked vape, Ash has suffered six seizures and now faces a life changed forever[/caption]
Dealers go to great lengths to meddle with the ingredients in legitimate vapes. The Manchester gang were opening e-cig liquids, removing some, then topping them up to full using spice from China.
Other vape bottles they made up themselves with a mix of legitimate liquid and the imported contraband.
In a bid to keep their profits out of police hands, Aftab and Ali swapped cash into gold bars and hid them in safety deposit boxes, which cops need an extra warrant to access.
Fellow crook Abu-Sharkh had gold coins at home to protect his earnings from the criminal enterprise.
Spice is a group name for synthetic cannabinoids, which are meant to mimic the effects of THC, but are far more addictive and dangerous. It has been known to cause psychosis, loss of movement, vomiting, diarrhoea and sometimes seizures.
Last year, researchers from Bath University found one in six vapes confiscated in schools was laced with spice, which can cause heart attacks, seizures and psychotic episodes.
They tested 596 vapes confiscated from schools in England.
Professor Chris Pudney, who carried out the research, said: “You find spice in three places — prisons, homeless communities and schools.
“They all share the characteristics of having vulnerable people in their population.”
On the haul found by Greater Manchester Police, Prof Pudney added: “If you search for THC vapes on Instagram or TikTok, you will see the same kinds of images. The thing I have not seen before is the labelling with the ‘flavours’.
“It points to a development in the distribution strategy and, as already noted, towards a younger age group.”
The study also found only one in 100 vapes contained THC.
‘Collapse at school’
Genuine THC vapes will smell like cannabis and have a gel-like consistency, instead of being odourless and water-like.
Spiked vapes have caused hundreds of teens across the country to collapse, with many not realising that they are smoking synthetic cannabinoids, zombie drug spice or, in rare cases, the opioid fentanyl.
Ben Davies, the headteacher at St Ambrose Barlow RC High School in Salford, has witnessed the havoc that illegally doctored vapes can cause in teenagers attending his school.
Spice is neurotoxic and can often lead to seizures. It also can have profound effects on the heart… even in young, fit people
Helen Wall, GP
“We’ve seen kids being given what they think is an innocent, over- the-counter vape, and it contains synthetic cannabinoids or something else,” Ben said.
“Illegal vaping itself is a worry, but with the spiked vapes, we’ve had children collapse at school and had to call the ambulance. We’ve had hallucinations, dissociation, collapse, palpitations, all those sorts of things.
“There are symptoms that are sometimes similar to a panic attack, but they are much more severe.
“What troubles me is how easily the children can get access to these vapes, often in some really sinister ways. And we have no idea what is in any of the vapes either — there’s no way to really know.”
Explaining why spice is dangerous for children and teenagers to use, GP Helen Wall said: “Spice can cause severe anxiety, paranoia and hallucinations. Psychosis can often occur, leading to violence and risk-taking behaviour.
“Spice is neurotoxic and can often lead to seizures. It also can have profound effects on the heart. Heart rate can be elevated, leading to high blood pressure, chest pain and heart attacks, even in young, fit people.
“Sudden cardiac death has been linked to spice.
“Kidneys can fail and your liver can become impaired, often due to chemicals in the spice that are unknown. Those with asthma may have an attack and become severely breathless.
“Despite all of these nasty effects, individuals quickly gain psychological and physical dependence on the drug — more so than with cannabis. The withdrawal symptoms can be profound.
“Teens getting into spice are more likely to drop out of school, fail exams, become socially isolated and get involved in violent and risk-taking behaviours.
“Teenage brains are still developing, particularly the prefrontal cortex responsible for decision-making and impulse control.
“Spice interferes with this process, potentially leading to long-term thought and emotional consequences.”
Crooks Omar Abu-Sharkh and Qais Rasul, both 20
Drug criminals Jalal Aftab and Sufiaan Ali, both 20
GettyCops warn that children buying vapes can have no idea what is in the product[/caption]
What are the new vape laws?
Ministers have pledged to crackdown on poorly regulated vapes and e-cigarettes following an explosion in the number of teenagers who use them.
New rules for manufacturers and shopkeepers are expected to come into force in 2025.
They are set to include:
Higher tax rates paid on vapes increase the price and make it harder for children to afford them
A ban on single-use vapes in favour of devices that can be recharged
A ban on colourful and cartoonish packaging that may appeal to youngsters
Tighter controls on flavourings and a ban on unnecessarily sweet or child-friendly ones like bubblegum and candy
More regulation on how and where they are displayed in shops, potentially putting them out of sight
Harsher penalties for shops caught selling them to under-18s
The ban on disposable vapes is part of ambitious government plans to tackle the rise in youth vaping.
A report published by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) found 20.5 per cent of children in the UK had tried vaping in 2023, up from 15.8 per cent in 2022 and 13.9 per cent in 2020.
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