"Thieves Use Spiked Vape to Knock Out Clubgoer and Steal His Phone and Thousands in Shocking New Scheme"

TWO men knocked out a reveller by giving him a spiked vape before using his phone’s face ID to access his bank account and steal £7,000.

The victim was left unconscious and taken to hospital where spice, a Class B synthetic cannabinoid drug, was found in his system.

Getting spiked with spice can cause nausea, vomiting, seizures, and cardiac arrest Credit: AFP Spikings in London have risen by nearly 10 per cent Credit: Getty

In an increasingly growing tactic, thieves are using to steal phones and access people’s bank accounts while they are unconscious.

In this incident first reported by The Times , the victim was clubbing in Clapham, London, on Good Friday when he was approached by two men and invited to drink with them.

After offering him the -laced vape, they asked to borrow his phone which they used to access his online banking app and steal thousands from him.

He was found at 3am and taken to hospital where drug tests showed he had spice in his system, a serious Class B drug which can cause nausea, vomiting, seizures, or even cardiac arrest.

Police were contacted and are investigating the incident but no arrests have been made.

The Met Police said this criminal practice is an “emerging issue”.

Some criminals hang around bars and clubs and start conversations with potential victims, asking to borrow their phone to take selfies or call a friend.

Gangs have also been known to use “spotters” – people who loiter at these venues and watch people enter their passcodes in order to access their bank accounts or steal their phone.

Women make up the majority of spiking victims, according to the Home Office , with drugs secretly put into their drinks and food.

In , spikings have risen by nearly 10 per cent, with 36 per cent of victims being men.

However, only five per cent of cases result in a charge and under reporting means the real figure could be much higher.

The lead officer on spiking for the Metropolitan Police, Detective Superintendent Daniel Thompson, told The Times: “We know it can cause humiliation and embarrassment, and we want to encourage men and boys to feel confident to come forward if this happens to them.”

“The half-life of drugs in the body is 12 hours so the sooner a spiking offence is reported, the more likely we are to obtain a urine sample and provide reassurance and certainty about what has happened.”

Spiked vapes are also proving to be an issue for younger people too with tainted vapes flogged on snapchat turning up in British schools and leaving kids in hospital.

In February, a Year Eight pupil was after using a vape.

The North Gosforth Academy pupil in was “totally out of it” and was taken to hospital, but discharged the same day.

Northumbria Police later arrested a teenage boy on suspicion of supplying , but was later released on bail.

Last year, said in more serious incidents spiked vapes are leaving kids suffering and terrifying personality changes.

A shocking study in 2024 by the University of Bath, found that one in six vapes confiscated from school children in England was laced with the ‘zombie drug’ spice.

“I’d urge parents to have conversations with your child about the dangers and risks as well as what happens if they do use a vape which is contaminated with something,” PCSO Jon Akehurst, said in a statement.

“Make it clear that if you do take these things, it has an impact on your life.”

Only five per cent of cases result in a charge Credit: Getty