The Royal Borough of Greenwich has seized illegal vapes and hundreds of dangerous toys and chargers from a secret room in Woolwich based business Cell Fone City.
On 16 October, the police executed a warrant with the council in attendance looking for illegal goods, vapes, tobacco and unsafe products following the businesses’ history of non-compliance with legal requirements and the suspicion of stolen phones at the premises.
After a secret room was uncovered in the basement of the premises, the council seized 21 illegal vapes which didn’t have the correct safety warnings on them and 480 electrical chargers which didn’t have the required traceability markings and appeared unsafe to use. Around 840 Samsung labels were also found at the premises which were not authorised by Samsung, this indicates that the business were falsely labelling phones as new or refurbished. 193 Princess Aerocraft Toys were seized as they did not meet toy safety requirements and were poorly made.
A large number of mobile phones and electronic devices were also found and were seized by the police.
All staff members at the premises were arrested and the police are applying for a closure order against the business.
Councillor Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Enforcement said: “Our Trading Standards team are committed to taking unsafe products off our streets, so the result of this seizure is a positive one.
“The safety and health of our residents is our number one priority, and businesses need to be held accountable and face the serious consequences if legal requirements and safety standards are not followed. This is not the first time Cell Fone City have failed to comply with regulations put in place to protect customers, despite the council providing them with guidance and support.”
In November 2024, following in-person guidance from the council around the sale of vapes, the council identified and seized 208 vapes at the store which didn’t meet legal requirements. In May 2025 a staff member from Cell Fone City is alleged to have sold a vape to an underage test purchaser.
If you suspect the sale of illegal goods in the borough, contact the council by calling 020 8921 8157 or email tradingstandards@royalgreenwich.gov.uk.
