UK’s Devon Cracks Down on Illegal Vapes, Shuts Four Shops

Key Points:

·Four shops in Devon, England were ordered by the court to close for three months for continuously selling illegal e-cigarettes and counterfeit tobacco. Sniffer dogs assisted in finding hidden stock. 

·The enforcement was based on a closure order from Plymouth Magistrates' Court. There have been a total of 28 commercial and residential closure orders in the past year. 

·The shops involved are also linked to modern slavery crimes. The illegal trade is impacting legitimate businesses. 

·Officials emphasize a "zero tolerance" stance. The trade department calls this a model of intelligence-driven enforcement.

【2Firsts News Flash】According to a report from the BBC on July 18th, four businesses in Devon, England have been ordered to shut down for selling illegal e-cigarettes and counterfeit tobacco.

The police in Devon and Cornwall counties have announced that they have successfully shut down the illegal sale of products in a joint enforcement action with the Southwest Trading Standards Center. This operation has resulted in four businesses in the Torbay area being forced to close for three months, with the possibility of extending the closure period if necessary. The police have stated that these businesses had previously been warned but continued to operate illegally.

The Plymouth District Court approved a closure order for shops during a hearing on July 17. The police additionally explained that during inspections with the assistance of drug detection dogs, a large amount of illegal products was found hidden in these shops.

Inspector Rob Harvey stated:

“The court's decision to order the closure of four commercial premises on the same day is of great significance, sending a strong signal to businesses that illegal sale activities harming public health will not be tolerated. Our goal is to protect community safety and address public concerns. Such illegal activities not only harm law-abiding businesses but also often involve modern slavery and exploitation crimes.”

Local Trade Standards Action Manager, Alex Fry, added:

“This operation perfectly demonstrated how we collaborated with the police to target and crackdown on illegal vendors based on precise intelligence.”

Police data shows that in the past 12 months, a total of 28 commercial and residential premises closure orders have been issued in the areas surrounding Torquay, Newton Abbot, Exeter and South Devon.