More than £1.3million worth of electric vehicles have been seized at a busy port, prompting an urgent warning from the police.
Suffolk Trading Standards' Imports Team worked in partnership with other agencies to stop hundreds of high-powered vehicles from entering the UK market.
The agencies detained a number of non-compliant electric off-road motorcycles in a bid to disrupt imports of illegal products.
In total, 271 electric motorbikes, scooters and bikes were seized with a total value of £1.38million.
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Suffolk Trading Standards' Imports Team uncovered £1.3million worth of dangerous electric vehicles | PADuring inspections, the agencies found that the vehicles were determined to be dangerous, while some were unlabelled, and others only had Chinese labelling.
Many were also supplied with non-UK plugs and chargers, potentially causing a massive fire risk.
Assistant Chief Constable Nick Caveney, of Hertfordshire Constabulary, said: "By sending Herts police officers to support this crackdown at Felixstowe, we found more than 50 unsafe and illegally imported electric off-road motorcycles that were destined for sale in our county.
"Stopping electric motorbikes like these from reaching the streets of Hertfordshire, where we see their links to anti-social behaviour and criminality, is a priority for the constabulary."
A number of containers were assessed over a three-day operation
|SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL
The seized goods included:
- 224 counterfeit or grey import Sur-ron electric motorbikes, including Lite Bee, Hyper Bee and Ultra Bee models, some of which can reach 56mph (value £1.02million)
- Five Talaria electric motorbikes retailing around £5,000 each
- A high-powered "Arctic Leopard" electric motorbike valued at £6,000 which can be ridden at over 63mph
- A Blade II "Teverun" electric scooter worth £6,000 and capable of speeds of 53mph
- 40 high-powered electric bikes commonly used by food couriers
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Suffolk Trading Standards' Imports Team worked alongside Hertfordshire and Metropolitan Police, the Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) and the Department for Transport.
As part of the operation, the agencies worked in partnerships, shared intelligence and resources to target suspicious goods being passed through the Port of Felixstowe.
In total, suspect containers were held at the border before officers from Suffolk Trading Standards and Hertfordshire Police inspected them.
Assistant Chief Constable Caveney said police forces around the country had launched Operation Topaz as part of the National Police Chiefs' Council-led initiative to "tackle road-related harm".
Suffolk County Council said it would be sharing intelligence with other forces around the UK
|SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL
Suffolk County Council outlined that intelligence gathered would be shared with other forces across the country to disrupt similar supply lines.
Councillor Steve Wiles, Suffolk County Council's Cabinet Member responsible for Public Health and Public Protection, described the operation as "sophisticated" and "highly targeted".
He added: "These products pose a very real threat - not just through the risk of fire or electric shock, but also through their links to anti-social behaviour and criminality.
"I want to thank our Trading Standards team and all the partner agencies involved for their expertise and commitment in protecting the public and disrupting the supply chains behind these illegal goods."