Trading standards officials and police have raided US-style candy shops in Oxford Street, seizing a haul of £215,000 worth of fake goods.
The operation Tuesday targeted two addresses in the world-famous shopping destination, with around 14,000 items taken away.
The council is already investigating some American-themed candy stores over alleged business rates evasion of millions of pounds.
Officials have claimed a common feature of these investigations is the use of opaque shell company structures to avoid identifying the genuine owners, frustrating efforts to take offenders to court.
Tuesday’s haul, the largest of operations to date targeting candy and souvenir shops, found more than 8,000 vapes thought to contain excessive levels of nicotine and 25 suspected fake Rolex watches.
Westminster Council leader, Cllr Adam Hug, said: “We all know there has been an explosion of these stores on Oxford Street.
“We are currently investigating 30 candy and souvenir stores for what we believe is business rates evasion in the region of £8 million.
“The reality is these stores are a threat to the status and value of what is supposed to be the nation’s premier shopping street.”
After the raid, police officers covering Oxford Street declared on Twitter: “Playtime’s over”.
Playtime's over 📸
— ORB Police (@MPSOxfordSt) October 11, 2022
Dedicated Ward Officers worked with @CityWestminster trading standards and @HMRCgovuk today regarding two commercial addresses on #OXFORDSTREET.@CityWestminster helped seize a large quantity of unlawful goods from the stores. 🍭🚭📱 pic.twitter.com/0QmPwPTYoe
Also included in the haul according to council officials were toys without safety labels, counterfeit branded mobile phone covers and more than 1,100 chargers without correct UK safety or company details.
More than 100 suspected fake electrical products from Apple and Samsung were also taken, alongside 826 suspected counterfeit rings.
Cllr Hug said the council was working on a new vision for Oxford Street which entailed “cracking down on dodgy sweet shops which leave a sour taste in the mouth for people who go in them”.
It comes after the council launched a “dirty money” campaign, saying opaque ownership structures were getting in the way of their investigations into alleged tax evasion.
Proposals suggested by officials include for the Government to hike the fee to register a company at Companies House from £12 to £50 and to introduce more rigorous identity checks.
It has also called for proper implementation of a newly-passed measure which would make a public register of beneficial ownership register of property.
