Cambridgeshire Crackdown Seizes Nearly a Tonne of Illegal Vapes and Thousands of Cigarettes

Nov.12.2024
Cambridgeshire Crackdown Seizes Nearly a Tonne of Illegal Vapes and Thousands of Cigarettes
Cambridgeshire County Council’s joint operation uncovers illegal vape sales, seizing over 8,500 vapes and 26,000 cigarettes, addressing safety and labeling concerns.

The Cambridgeshire County Council discovered illegal sales of vapes and tobacco in stores across three different towns during a joint operation, according to Talking Retail's report on November 11th.

 

Since January of this year, these joint operations have resulted in the seizure of over 8,500 illegal vapes and nearly 26,000 illegal cigarettes in Cambridgeshire County. In July, the Trading Standards sent over two-thirds of a ton of illegal vapes to a specialized recycling facility for disposal.

 

The issues include the tank capacity of these vapes being considered illegal in the UK, as well as products being incorrectly labeled as nicotine-free.

 

"These ongoing, targeted enforcement operations send a clear message to the shops that supply these products, and the organized crime gangs behind these crimes, that the sale of illegal vapes won’t be tolerated in Cambridgeshire, said Peter Gell, service director regulatory services at the county council. "We are committed to taking a hard line with anyone we uncover perpetrating these crimes."

 

“The level of intelligence we receive from the public and local law-abiding businesses is also indicative of local feeling towards these crimes. They don’t want these crimes being committed in their local communities, and we will continue to tackle it on their behalf.”

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