Over 111,000 illegal vapes seized in national crackdown on high street crime

More than 111,000 illegal vapes have been seized in a nationwide crackdown on criminal activity across UK high streets, as part of Operation Machinize 2 – a coordinated law enforcement campaign led by the National Crime Agency (NCA).

The month-long operation, conducted throughout October, involved every UK police force alongside Trading Standards, HMRC, Immigration Enforcement and Companies House, targeting the criminal exploitation of retail premises including vape shops, convenience stores and mini-marts.

In total, 2,734 premises were raided and 924 individuals arrested, with authorities seizing over £10.7 million in suspected criminal proceeds and destroying more than £2.7 million worth of illicit goods – including the 111,097 illegal and potentially harmful vapes.

“Criminals are using these dodgy shops as fronts for serious organised crime, money laundering and illegal working, risking the future of the British high street,” security minister Dan Jarvis said.

“We have intensified our joint efforts with law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks and relentlessly pursue those who use dirty money for personal gain. Together we have seized millions in criminal assets, removed harmful drugs from our streets and arrested hundreds of criminals who are undercutting honest business owners.”

Rachael Herbert, director of the National Economic Crime Centre at the NCA, said the coordinated action has “set a new standard for what can be achieved through the coordinated action of UK law enforcement.”

“Depriving criminals of their source of income has a real impact, limiting the amount of funds they can reinvest in further offending and deterring them from taking spaces on our high street that could be used by legitimate businesses,” she added.

The NCA has warned that the misuse of high street premises – including vape shops – is becoming a growing concern, with some being used as fronts for illicit trade and money laundering.

The previous version of Operation Machinize, launched in April, has led to the seizure of over 8,000 illegal vapes.

Sal Melki, Senior Lead for Machinize 2, said the operation has revealed the scale and diversity of offending occurring across the high street.

“Over the course of the month, we have learnt a lot about the threat, the different types of offending occurring on our high street and what tactics are effective in combatting it. The scale of this challenge is significant, but it is also important to remember that the majority of shops on our high streets are not considered suspicious,” Melki said.

“While there is organised crime occurring at the top of the pyramid, we do not underestimate the aggregated effect that thousands of shops engaged in so-called lower level criminality is having on our communities and the criminal supply chains that profit from them. The Machinize model therefore relies on local knowledge and delivery just as much as national coordination and intelligence.

“We acknowledge the problem won’t be solved overnight or through disruptive action alone – today’s high street is subject to many socio-economic factors beyond the scope of a law enforcement partnership. We are therefore working closely with government to use the learning from this operation to build on and develop long-term solutions.”

The crackdown forms part of wider efforts by the government and enforcement bodies to address the surge in illegal vape sales, many of which contain excessive nicotine levels, untested ingredients or non-compliant packaging.