# What's really under the counter at the vape shop

> Dodgy UK shops hide illicit goods in secret chambers.
- Title: What's really under the counter at the vape shop · Dailymail
- Summary: Dodgy UK shops hide illicit goods in secret chambers. Police found £1,000 in counterfeit tobacco hidden in a vape shop's ceiling void.
- Keywords: vape shop, counterfeit tobacco, hidden chambers, operation machinize, national crime agency, suffolk police, dodgy shops, illicit goods, money laundering, news, entertainment, What's
- Source: Dailymail — https://dailymail.com/news/article-16133579/Whats-really-counter-vape-shop-elaborate-hidden-chambers-dodgy-shop-owners-use-stash-illicit-goods.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss
- Published: 2026-09-17T00:05:38+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: uk, vape shop, counterfeit tobacco, hidden chambers, operation machinize, national crime agency, suffolk police, dodgy shops, illicit goods, money laundering, news, entertainment
## What's hidden in vape shops
Officers found secret compartments in UK vape shops.
## First hide discovered
A sniffer dog found illegal tobacco under a wall panel.
## Second hide revealed
Officers pulled an electric radiator to find another chamber.
## Hidden chambers used for
Shop owners stash counterfeit tobacco and dirty money.
## Operation Machinize
UK police target shops linked to crime.
## How hides work
Electromagnetic locks secure hidden spaces with remote controls.
## First raid details
Vape shop had £1,000 in counterfeit tobacco ready for sale.
## Second hide found
Empty chamber under shop floor in another location.
## Brothel raid
Two people arrested for modern slavery and immigration crimes.
## Security minister says
Hides hide shops from police and council officials.
## Home Office plan
500 new officers to tackle money laundering networks.
## Why shops are dodgy
Workers exploited or forced by threats to families.
## Local trader says
Legitimate traders follow rules and expect others to do the same.
## Shop owners profit
Selling illegal tobacco earns up to £3,000 weekly.
## Tax impact
Illegal sales starve the Treasury of tax revenue.
## What happens next
Government doubles closure period for dodgy shops to one year.
## Key takeaway

Police found £1,000 in counterfeit tobacco hidden in a vape shop's ceiling void.