According to a statement from the Greater Manchester Police, the Rochdale Trading Standards Committee, in collaboration with local authorities, conducted visits to four retail sellers in the town suspected of selling illegal e-cigarettes. As a result, over 750 illicit e-cigarettes were seized, with an estimated total value of around £9,000. Prior to this operation, the team had issued warnings to all retailers regarding the consequences of selling illegal e-cigarettes.
The legally mandated inhalation limit for compliant e-cigarettes in the UK is set at 600/700 puffs, beyond which usage has not been tested and may potentially cause harm to anyone using them. The majority of confiscated e-cigarettes have a quantity of 3500 puffs or more. These illicit e-cigarettes not only pose a threat to health but also put children at risk of criminal exploitation and child sexual exploitation.
The flavors of these e-cigarettes are highly appealing to children, and the nicotine content in them is highly addictive, which means that children are also forced to engage in criminal activities and sexual exploitation in order to continue using e-cigarettes.
Chris Davies, from the Rochdale integrated protection group, stated:
Since 2021, we have been conducting monthly Op Vigilant operations, which are multi-agency responses aimed at tackling the issue of child exploitation. During these operations, we have visited various locations in the vicinity of Rochdale and taken action based on intelligence provided by GMP.
The Rochdale Trading Standards Committee has consistently adhered to trade standards, with a particular focus on the illegal sale of e-cigarettes in petrol stations, newsstands, and other retail stores. They have been actively committed to carrying out their work proactively.
According to reports, all seized e-cigarettes significantly exceed the permissible specifications, and the retailers involved will now undergo further investigation.
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