Thousands of illicit vapes and counterfeit goods seized from Ashington premises
15 Jul 2024 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
More than 3,800 non-compliant disposable vapes, counterfeit jewellery and clothing worth over £50,000 have been seized from a premises in Ashington by officers from Northumberland County Council’s Trading Standards Service.
Officers attended the business premises in Ashington after intelligence indicated that the shop was supplying non-compliant disposable vaping products with puff counts over ten times the legal limit.
During the search they also found counterfeit watches from well-known brands such as Omega, Rolex, Breitling and Hublot along with counterfeit clothing and handbags.
The business, which can’t currently be named for legal reasons, is now under criminal investigation.
The council is now appealing to all retailers in the county to check their existing stocks of vapes to ensure they are legally compliant and to be vigilant when purchasing any new stock. Consumers who buy these products are also encouraged to be aware of what the law requires to keep themselves safe.
Councillor Gordon Stewart, cabinet member for Looking after our Communities said:
“The rise in popularity of vaping has resulted in some products being rushed onto the UK market or diverted from other overseas markets which may not be legal for sale in the UK.
“Our Trading Standards officers are working hard to get these hazardous vaping products off the shelves.
“We are concerned about the high volume of devices found that fail to meet the required safety standards and urge consumers to always check products meet safety requirements, so they are not putting their health at unnecessary risk.”
Councillor Gordon Stewart added:
“The seizure of counterfeit goods is also a fantastic result from our Trading Standards team.
“Selling counterfeit goods is not a victimless crime. Shoppers are ripped off, confidence in legitimate brands is undermined and the supply and sale of fake items is known to fund all sorts of organised crime.
“We hope this latest seizure sends a clear message to those who engage in illegal trading - our teams are working hard to protect consumers and legitimate businesses and it will not be tolerated in Northumberland.”
If anyone has concerns or information regarding illegal vapes and counterfeit products being sold, please report them to Trading Standards by e mailing
tradingstandards@northumberland.gov.uk
How to spot illicit vapes
Legitimate vape products should display certain information either on or within the packaging. This includes:
- Health warnings about the dangers of nicotine which should cover at least 30% of the front and back surfaces of the vape packaging presented as black text on a white background.
- The nicotine content of the product which cannot be more than 20mg per ml
- A batch number to identify the product
- A recommendation to keep the product out of the reach of children
- A name and address for the manufacturer and importer
Many devices are also not registered with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
In all instances, this means that products cannot lawfully be sold in the UK and concerns about safety are heightened.