Shopkeepers involved in the sale of unlawful vapes and tobacco are communicating through WhatsApp groups to alert one another about impending police raids, according to a warning from an officer at a west London council.

In September, Hounslow Council’s Trading Standards team confiscated over £33,000 worth of illicit goods, which included 4,859 illegal vapes and 3,806 counterfeit cigarettes.

A participating officer in the raids reported to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that one retailer was captured on CCTV disposing of his stock of illegal items by tossing them onto the roof of an outbuilding after receiving a tip about the raids.

Officials from the council indicated that illegal vapes and tobacco were being marketed not only in off-licences but also in barbershops, restaurants, and even carpet stores.

On September 23 and 24, Hounslow Council collaborated with the Metropolitan Police to execute raids at 16 locations across Chiswick, Feltham, and Hounslow High Street.

The vapes confiscated during these operations had an estimated market value of £30,000 and were either in violation of legal tank size and nicotine concentration limits or were banned from sale in the UK, including disposable models, as reported by the council.

Additionally, Trading Standards officers recovered 16 kg (2st 7lb) of shisha and 11 kg (1st 11lb) of chewing tobacco.

These actions were part of Operation CeCe, a nationwide initiative instituted by Trading Standards and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, which, in the 2023-24 period, confiscated 1.19 million illegal vapes.

This operation took place prior to the prohibition on disposable vapes that came into effect on June 1.

In 2024, Hounslow Council reported seizing more than £400,000 worth of illicit tobacco and an additional £100,000 worth since April.

The council cautioned that unregulated products may contain hazardous levels of tar and nicotine, and some have been found to include arsenic and lead.

Labour councillor Pritam Grewal, who serves as the cabinet minister for community safety and enforcement at Hounslow Council, remarked: “The distribution of illegal tobacco and vapes poses a significant threat to our communities and jeopardizes the health of our residents.

“These unregulated products are unsafe and can lead to nicotine addiction among young people.

“We are committed to taking decisive action against those who seek to benefit harmfully at the expense of public health and community welfare.”