Millions of illegal vapes seized in the South East

More than three million illegal vaping products have been seized by Trading Standards officers in south-east England in five years, new figures suggest.

The data obtained by the BBC revealed that more than two million devices had been confiscated by a council team carrying out checks on goods coming into the country at the Channel ports in Kent.

Officials say the products seized include those which exceed legal nicotine strength limits and single-use vapes which were banned in 2025.

The government says it is investing new funding in enforcement agencies to tackle the illicit and underage sale of tobacco and vapes.

According to Trading Standards, illegal vapes can also be those found to exceed the legal tank size, or their labels fail to display manufacturer's details and health warnings.

Jim Whiddett, Kent Trading Standards operations manager, said: "Vapes are still an issue, our officers are still finding illegal products.

"Consumers might be exposing themselves to a risk because they don't know what's in the product," he said.

"The ports team have been really effective because the majority of the vapes aren't made in the UK, so the fact we can stop them at the border, interrupts that illegal supply as they come into the country."

Figures obtained by BBC South East through a freedom of information request show 3.1 million vapes were seized from ports or shops between 2021 and 2025.

Kent County Council, including its ports team, detected 3 million devices, Surrey County Council seized 40,835 and Medway Council 32,806.

Elsewhere in the region, Brighton & Hove found 28,473 vapes, West Sussex 24,102 and East Sussex 11,928.

In 2025 councils in the South East seized 556,368 illegal vaping products, up from 5,755 in 2021.

The peak year for seizures came in 2023, when 1,539, 582 were made across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

In June 2025 it also became illegal for businesses in the UK to sell, supply or possess single-use vapes for sale.

The move was aimed at protecting children's health and the environment.

Under the rules brought in last year, only reusable devices can be legally sold. They must have a rechargeable battery, a replaceable coil, and be refillable.

Whiddett said single use vape sales remain a problem despite the ban last year.

"We are still seeing single use products out there and the team will be removing them from outlets wherever we find them," he said.

Those caught selling illegal vapes could get a £200 fine in the first instance, rising to an unlimited fine and/or a prison sentence of up to two years for repeat offences.

The UK Vaping Industry Association insists the majority of vape shops operate within the law, serving adults who would otherwise be smoking.

It said responsible vape retailers operate strict age-of-sale checks and adhere to product standards, yet they are increasingly being undercut by illegal operators.

John Dunne, director general of the association, told BBC South East: "We continue to call on the government to introduce a mandatory licensing scheme for vape retailers and distributors, alongside tougher penalties and sustained, ring-fenced funding for Trading Standards."

The government said in 2025/26 it was investing £30 million of new funding for enforcement agencies including Trading Standards, Border Force and His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), to tackle the illicit and underage sale of tobacco and vapes, supporting the implementation of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

A government spokesperson said: "Trading Standards and Border Force work closely together to protect the public from imports of goods that do not meet British safety standards and the government is going further than ever to crack down on illicit sales.

"The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will give authorities stronger enforcement powers, including the ability to issue on the spot fines, and enable government to introduce a licencing scheme for retailers."

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