Illegal cigarettes and vapes worth £67K seized

The illegal items were seized from seven retailers in Huddersfield

Illegal cigarettes and vapes worth more than £67,000 have been seized by officers in Huddersfield.

A joint operation saw West Yorkshire Police and Trading Standards visit seven stores in the area on Tuesday.

They included two retailers in Ashbrow, three in the town centre and two elsewhere in Huddersfield.

According to the force, 2,050 packets of cigarettes, 168 packets of 50g tobacco, 2,030 oversize vapes and 604 unlicensed single use vapes were seized in total.

The operation was part of a series of initiatives to tackle sources of finance for organised crime in Huddersfield and prosecute people involved in activity such as drug dealing.

Between September 2024 and July 2025, officers have made 85 arrests, executed 15 warrants, and seized an estimated £230,000 worth of Class A and B drugs, the force said.

Police dogs have helped as part of the force's plan to tackle organised crime

Ch Insp Rebecca Calpin said: "A substantial amount of work has been ongoing across Kirklees this year to combat organised crime, and these latest warrants are just one part of that work.

"It is proven that money raised from illegal vape and tobacco sales can be used to fund organised crime and these illegal products can also be more harmful to public health.

"The vapes can contain higher nicotine content and are not regulated or tested, making them potentially hazardous, especially to young people."

She added it was important these sources of money were taken away from those "who create misery in our communities".

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