Police seize illegal tobacco and vapes worth £166k

The work was carried out by Trading Standards and South Hams' local neighbourhood police team

Police in Devon have seized suspected illegal tobacco and vapes worth £166,000.

The operation found more than 18,000 suspected illegal tobacco products and 2,000 illegal vapes in South Hams, Totnes.

The items included suspected counterfeit products, non-duty paid tobacco products and non-UK compliant vapes.

The work was carried out by Trading Standards and South Hams' local neighbourhood police team.

Insp Ben Shardlow from Devon and Cornwall Police said: “These illegal goods do not go through regulated safety testing and quality control procedures like the legal products that are sold in the UK do.

"[This] means we don’t know what’s in them."

'Great partnership'

He praised the working relationship between the groups.

"Carrying out this proactive warrant shows great partnership working and has resulted in identifying a significant amount of illegal goods.

Officers found 18,000 suspected illegal tobacco products and 2,000 illegal vapes in South Hams, Totnes

"It is positive we were able to remove a large amount from the streets and circulation.

“I’d like to urge members of the public to report concerns to us so we can continue to disrupt illegal and criminal activity, just as we have done in the South Hams.

"Your reports and information really do make a difference in our investigations.”

Councillor Rufus Gilbert, Devon County Council’s cabinet member for Trading Standards, said: “The removal of illegal tobacco and vapes from entering the marketplace is a high priority for us, and this was yet another successful operation.