£25k of illegal and fake headphones, sunglasses and vapes seized
More than 1,000 illegal and counterfeit vapes, headphones, mobile phone accessories, and sunglasses were seized from four Hackney businesses by Council trading standards officers last month.
The goods - with a total value of over £25,000 - were confiscated as part of a crackdown on illegal and counterfeit goods, which are of a poorer quality, unsafe and may pose a potential fire hazard as well as giving customers no chance of a refund or replacement from shops that do not provide a proof of purchase.
Representatives from leading brands accompanied trading standards officers to help them identify fake goods from leading brands such as Apple, Samsung, Armani and Louis Vuitton.
The illegal vape products did not comply with Government regulations as they were oversized and contained well over the permitted 2ml of nicotine liquid.
The nicotine pouches were non compliant as the packaging was not in English, with consumers unable to follow the safety instructions or be aware of warnings or risks associated with this product.
None of the businesses found with illegal vapes were able to provide receipts for the goods.
We are fully committed to keeping our residents safe and getting these fake goods which could endanger their lives and others off the street is part of that work.
As well as potentially being dangerous, these counterfeit goods can leave residents with low quality products with no chance of a refund from rogue traders.
We’ll be carrying on our work to target dodgy businesses and keep residents safe during London Trading Standards Week. Through our work we protect the interests of not only consumers but also businesses who wish to trade openly and fairly.
Council trading standards officers will this week take part in London Trading Standards Week, targeting doorstep crime, product safety, and ensuring that businesses are trading safely and legally.
Trading Standards officers will now carry out a full investigation of each business, which may result in prosecution.