A record haul of suspected fake goods was uncovered when a tourist complained about being charged £899 for two packets of sweets in an Oxford Street candy store.
Westminster council officials made the discovery when they raided the store with Metropolitan police officers.
Two shop assistants fled downstairs and avoided capture by using a secret exit - hidden behind a panel in the basement wall - to escape back up to street level.
But they ended up leading officers to discover a hidden room in which thousands of apparently counterfeit goods were discovered.
Removing the US-style candy stores, many of which also sell poor-quality souvenirs, from Oxford Street is one of the council’s priorities as it attempts to restore the fortunes of the UK’s most famous high street.
The raid – the latest in numerous efforts to target candy stores - happened on April 25.
It was undertaken after the foreign tourist complained to the police about being overcharged over the weekend of April 12-13.
When the tourist returned with police soon after being overcharged, officers were able to secure a refund.
The council and police then planned a return raid – which yielded the biggest-ever haul of suspected fake goods from a store in Oxford Street, with the items having a “street value” of about £80,000.
Adam Hug, Labour leader of Westminster City Council, said: “We have known for a long time that US candy stores rip off customers, but charging £900 for two packets of sweets is a new low, even for the unscrupulous people who run these rackets.
“Our job is to protect people who visit the West End from being exploited and continuing raids and court appearances will ensure life is sour for the rogue US sweet shop trade.
“Hopefully, the fall in the number of US candy and souvenir shops means the tide is going out on this tatty trade.”
The Standard understands the shops were located at 399A and 399B Oxford Street, with the customer being overcharged at 399A.
The number of mixed candy and souvenir stores on Oxford Street has fallen from 40 during the pandemic to 18 in March.
Trading standards officers have seized more than £1m in fake and unsafe goods over the past two years.
The council has successfully taken legal action candy and souvenir stores to recover unpaid business rates.
The latest raid involved trading standards officers and environmental health food safety officers.
The items impounded in the latest raid included 2,892 American food products, more than 30,000 cigarettes, 3,182 single-use vapes, 598 nicotine pouches, 226 heated tobacco pouches and 61 travel adaptors or power banks.
Cereals and sweets were seized due to a lack of labelling and the presence of additives banned in the UK.
The cigarettes, including pirated versions of brands such as Marlboro and Benson & Hedges, were not in the plain packaging required by UK laws. Nor did they feature the graphic photo warnings of the diseases caused by smoking.
Top Gun cigarettes were also seized - a Chinese “copy” brand that has increasingly being found in the UK.
