A raid on a Liverpool-based wholesaler's property has resulted in the city council's biggest ever seizure of illicit goods.
More than 30,000 items have been removed from a wholesaler based in Old Swan.
Working with Merseyside Police, the city council’s public protection team recovered 7,700 vapes and 23,400 cigarettes from the property, worth £105, 000.
An inspection by the teams found that the goods, due to be sold to local businesses in the area, were unregulated and could be dangerous to consumers.
The premises was issued a warning and could face closure if there is any further criminal activity.
Councillor Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture said, “Thanks to the team’s quick actions based on intelligence they received, they managed to take thousands of potentially dangerous goods off the market before they could be sold to the public.
“While genuine vaping products can be a helpful alternative to smoking, they should always be sourced from reputable retailers.
“Regulations around vapes and cigarettes exist for a reason. Illicit products could contain ingredients that are harmful to people’s health, which is why removing them from the market is a priority.”
Merseyside Police Local Policing Constable Graeme Brannagan added, “We’re pleased to have worked alongside Liverpool City Council in this significant seizure, which makes our communities a great deal safer."
In 2024, the council removed over 135,000 illegal cigarettes and vapes from sale across Liverpool.
Vapes seized by the team are sent to be recycled by a Manchester based contractor that has been authorised by Trading Standards North West.
Unregulated vapes and cigarettes could contain banned ingredients and may pose a serious health risk to anyone using them.
Rules around the sale of vapes are set out in the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.
The requirements restrict e-cigarette tanks to a capacity of no more than 2ml, around 600 puffs, while the maximum volume of nicotine-containing e-liquid for sale in one refill container is restricted to 10ml.
Additionally, e-liquids are restricted to a nicotine strength of no more than 20mg/ml. Previously, the largest seizure of illicit goods from a single property saw over 4,600 illicit vapes taken from a store.
