Illegal vapes as strong as 300 cigarettes seized

A sniffer dog helped find some of the illegal vapes in Grantham

Illegal vapes hidden behind secret panels have been removed from four shops in Grantham, Lincolnshire Police have said.

A sniffer dog helped find some of the contraband.

Trading standards said some of the vapes contained similar nicotine levels to 315 average cigarettes.

After the raids, two men aged 33 and 38 were arrested on suspicion of weapons related offences and released on bail.

Teams from across Lincolnshire Police have been involved in tackling the sale of illegal vapes

Police said five raids were carried out on 11 March at shops in Grantham.

Biedronka and Europe Foods on Wharf Road were found to have illegal vapes hidden behind "false panels constructed into the shelving units", the force said.

Officers said they also found a "handheld taser and a suspected incapacitant spray" at Biedronka.

A 33-year-old man and a 38-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of weapons offences at Bierdronka and have been released on police bail.

Jazz Mini Market on Westgate also had secret hiding places for goods, police said.

And illegal products were seized from Grab and Go on London Road, according to officers.

A fifth shop was raided, but no illegal products were found.

Andy Wright, Principal Trading Standards Officer, said some of the products confiscated had more than the legal amount of nicotine.

"Some of the vapes recovered contained 15,000 ‘puffs’, or 25ml of fluid. This equates to roughly the same nicotine content as 315 average king size cigarettes," he said.