Over £6,000 Worth Of Illegal Cigarettes, Vapes And Tobacco Seized In Hornchurch Raid

More than £6,000 worth of illegal cigarettes, vapes, tobacco and shisha products have been taken off Havering’s streets following a joint enforcement operation in Hornchurch.

Havering Council’s Trading Standards team carried out the raid after gathering evidence over a number of weeks as part of Operation CeCe.

Working alongside the Council’s enforcement team and officers from Havering Police, investigators searched two premises located at the same address.

During the operation, officers discovered and seized a range of illicit products, including illegal cigarettes, vapes, hand-rolling tobacco, shisha products and electrical shisha burners.

The electrical burners were also seized due to concerns relating to product safety and packaging requirements.

In total, the illegal goods recovered during the raid were valued at approximately £6,400.

The operation also uncovered a potentially serious safety issue. Officers detected a strong smell of gas at one of the premises, prompting the National Gas Emergency service to attend.

As a precaution, the gas supply was manually switched off and the business owners voluntarily agreed to close the premises immediately in the interests of public safety.

Cadent Gas subsequently attended the site to ensure any potential gas leak was dealt with and made safe.

As investigations remain ongoing, the business involved cannot currently be identified.

Councillor Terry Brown, Havering’s Cabinet Member for Planning and Public Protection, said:

“We won’t tolerate businesses or anyone selling illegal and dangerous goods in our borough.

“Together with the police, our trading standards teams will continue to crack down on those who do this and this is another great example of that work.

“Our residents can also be our eyes and ears. If you know a business that is selling illicit products, please tell us.”

The seizure is the latest action by Havering Council and its partners to tackle the sale of illegal and potentially dangerous products across the borough.

Residents who suspect businesses are selling illicit goods are encouraged to report their concerns to the council’s Trading Standards team.

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