Illegal tobacco and vapes seized on Chiswick High Road

An officer stacks the van with impounded illegal goods

Over £33,000 of illegal tobacco and vapes seized by Police and Trading Standards officers

Hounslow Council’s Trading Standards team, working in partnership with the Metropolitan Police, have seized illegal tobacco and vapes from 16 premises in a series of raids in Chiswick, Feltham and Hounslow High Street.

They first carried out a series of test purchases, during which seven premises sold illegal tobacco to the Council’s undercover officer.

In the subsequent raids they impounded 4,859 illegal vapes with a market value of around £30,000, 3,806 illegal cigarettes with a market value of £3,000, 16kg of shisha, and 11 kg of chewing tobacco.

The vapes seized exceeded the legal tank size and nicotine strength limits, or were unregistered and illegal for sale in the UK.

Illegal tobacco and vapes packed into the van

Disposable vapes have been banned in the UK since the introduction of the Single Use Vape ban on 1 June 2025. Selling disposable vapes now carries a fine of £200 for the first offence and unlimited fines and imprisonment of up to two years for repeat offenders.

The Council says investigations into these businesses are ongoing and appropriate enforcement action will be considered once enquiries are complete.

‘Illegal, unregulated tobacco and vapes can contain unknown and harmful substances, including excessive levels of tar and nicotine, and contaminants like lead and arsenic’, said a spokesperson for Trading Standards.

Members of the Council’s Enforcement team and Police with Council Leader Cllr Shantanu Rajawat, holding the sinner dog’s lead

‘Often produced in unhygienic conditions, and sold at pocket-money prices, these products make it easier for young people to start smoking or vaping and harder for others to quit.

‘Counterfeit cigarettes can also pose a greater fire risk as they often lack the self-extinguishing safety features of legitimate products.

‘Profits from the trade in illegal vapes and tobacco sales can help fund organised criminal activity, including drug trafficking and money laundering’, they added.

If you suspect someone is selling illegal products, you can report it to Hounslow Trading Standards or anonymously via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service.

Haul of illegal products

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