Illegal vapes worth £17,500 seized in Luton

An estimated £17,500 worth of illegal vapes have been seized following a join warrant by Luton Council Trading Standards and Bedfordshire Police in the Bury Park area recently.

According to Luton Borough Council, the warrant followed intelligence received about illicit tobacco and illegal disposable vape pens being stored and sold from a premises in the area. Illicit tobacco was not discovered, however approximately 2,500 illegal disposable vape pens were seized, with the premises also found to be decanting shisha tobacco into unlabeled plastic pots for retail sale and supply.

Luton Trading Standards have so far seized over 11,000 illegal vapes.

Luton Trading Standards and the police advise that illicit vape pens and tobacco are often being sold to school children and persons under 18. These products are more dangerous than regulated vaping devices and tobacco, states the council.

Legal disposable vape pens have a maximum of 600 puffs, containing 2ml of liquid and 2 per cent nicotine, equivalent to approximately 10 packs of cigarettes. All disposable vape pens that exceed 600 puffs (2ml liquid and 2 per cent nicotine content) are illegal. They also contain chemicals that are banned in this country and are harmful to health.

Furthermore, illicit cigarettes do not extinguish in the same way as regulated products, increasing the risk of house fires.

Councilor Hazel Simmons MBE, Leader of Luton Council, said, “The sale of illicit tobacco, vape pens and shisha is often linked to wider organised criminal activity, so we have good reason to be vigilant. The sale of illicit vape pens and tobacco evades tax and is unfair to honest traders.

“They also put people’s health at risk, which is particularly concerning when the traders sell to children. It is important that parents and carers engage with their children to ensure that they are not being sold nicotine-containing vape pens when under 18 years of age.

Landlords whose tenants are engaged in the sale of illicit tobacco, shisha and vape pens will be advised and investigated in relation to proceeds of crime where sales continue. Businesses can also face closure.