UK Seizes Illegal E-Cigarettes Worth Over £400,000, Including Products Shaped Like Beer Bottles

According to British media reports, with the support of Greater Manchester Police (GMP), trade standards officials conducted a raid in Salford, seizing illegal e-cigarettes worth over £400,000, some of which had e-liquid concentrations up to 11 times the legal limit.

(Image from Salford City Council)

Law enforcement officials discovered over 35,000 disposable e-cigarettes and 3,500 bottles of e-liquid hidden in a storage area behind blinds.

Salford Council stated that one of the seized e-cigarettes was blueberry-flavored and shaped like a soft drink toy, raising concerns that some manufacturers are deliberately targeting children, while another e-cigarette resembled a beer bottle. Salford City Council has initiated a criminal investigation.

The head of environmental and community safety affairs, Councillor Barbara Bentham, stated: "We all need to work together, especially to ensure the safety of children and young people."

"In the UK, the legal maximum e-liquid capacity for e-cigarettes is 2ml, which is about 600 puffs. The maximum legal size for nicotine refill bottles is 10ml, with a maximum nicotine concentration of 20mg/ml. Any deviations from this regulation should be reported. Properly regulated e-cigarettes can be a good way for adults to quit smoking, but non-smokers and those under 18 should not use e-cigarettes, as nicotine is highly addictive."

It has been reported that since January of this year, the trade standards office has seized nearly 85,000 illegal e-cigarette products, worth over £650,000.