Havering Police and Trading Standards Take Down £36,000 of Illegal Vape Products in Romford.

Around £36,000 worth of illegal vapes and tobacco has been seized from Romford businesses in a crackdown led by Havering Council’s trading standards teams.

Working alongside enforcement officers, Havering’s S92 Police officers and specialist sniffer dogs funded through Operation CeCe, officers carried out raids on two businesses following reports they were selling illegal products.

The operation was carried out using intelligence gathered through partnership working under Operation CeCe, which targets the illegal tobacco trade across the UK.

Investigations are ongoing into the seized goods and potential further action against the businesses involved, which cannot be named at this stage.

Helen Oakerbee, Havering’s Director of Planning and Public Protection, said this was another strong example of enforcement teams working together to protect the public.

“This is another great example of the work our trading standards and enforcement teams do, working alongside the police, to help keep our residents safe.

“We will continue to take the strongest action against those committing these crimes and won’t tolerate anyone or any business selling illegal or counterfeit goods in our borough.”

Operation CeCe is funded by HMRC and focuses on tackling the illegal tobacco trade, which is estimated to cost the UK economy around £1.8 billion every year.

The latest seizures highlight ongoing efforts to clamp down on illegal goods and protect both residents and legitimate businesses across Havering.

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