New claims reveal illegal vape outlets run by migrants linked to criminal gangs are luring vulnerable children into exploitation, fueling calls for crackdowns on criminal networks invading Britain’s high streets.
A Channel 4 News investigation uncovered alarming evidence of illegal vape shops exploiting children as young as 11, with trading standards officers reporting complaints of free vapes being handed out in exchange for sexual favours.
This disturbing trend points to a potential new wave of grooming tied to organised crime, echoing the failures seen in past scandals across the UK.
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Modernity report: In Dudley, West Midlands, enforcement teams have shut down nearly 40 rogue shops in the past year, many linked to criminal gangs from countries including Kurdistan and Afghanistan. Principal Trading Standards Officer Kuldeep Maan described the situation as an “epidemic”, prioritizing closures based on grooming risks to children.
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“We have complaints that vapes and illegal goods are perhaps given free on some occasions to children in return for sexual favours,” Maan told Channel 4. His colleague Richard Timmins added: “I had one the other day, a child as young as 11 purchasing vapes from a shop – it’s just disgusting.”
During raids, officers have found chilling indicators of predatory intent. “We get people behind the counter to empty their pockets. We’ve been in situations where they empty their pockets and they’ve got reams of condoms,” Maan said.
He added, “I once came across a book and it was written in Kurdish and it was translated and they were learning English words for ‘you’re pretty’, ‘I love your hair’, ‘you’re young and beautiful’.”
Last summer, the team acted on intelligence that men linked to one shop were driving children as young as 12 to unknown locations. “Our priority is, number one, we stop that shop first. So we’ll focus all our efforts on a particular shop, get that closed down,” Maan explained.
The national body representing trading standards officers echoed these concerns, stating “vapes are being used as a hook to lure in vulnerable children.”
One raided shop, not directly tied to grooming but connected to crime, had a previous owner charged with rape and strangulation—denied by him—with police markers for sexual offences, violence, and firearms.
In a heated confrontation during the closure, the current owner denied wrongdoing but was later seen meeting a former owner evicted for illegal sales. “It just shows that even though he’s been evicted, he will still be the business owner,” Timmins noted.
This comes amid a nationwide crackdown, with over 920 arrests in November 2025 raids on vape shops, mini-marts, and similar businesses, seizing millions in illegal products and 70kg of cannabis. The National Crime Agency estimates £12 billion in criminal cash is laundered annually through such fronts.
