Vapes found in loft during counterfeit crackdown

Sgt John Tranter and Sgt Jess Northall tracked down products with the help of sniffer dogs

Officers have found a haul of vapes hidden in a loft hatch during a crackdown against counterfeit vapes and tobacco.

The vapes were "sniffed out by a tobacco sniffer dog," in Sandwell, said West Midlands Police (WMP), which took part in the multi-agency operation in the area.

The force said about 3,200 vapes, 127,300 cigarettes and 23 pouches of shisha had been seized in Sandwell this year.

It added that the total retail value of the goods was more than £100,000.

Disposable vapes must have capacity for no more than 650 puffs, said police

Work included inspections, seizing counterfeit products and pursuing closure orders on stores which persistently ignore the law.

Shop owners who sell illegal products often hide them in "secretive places", such as under floor boards and behind walls, offices said.

However, other shop owners were "more brazen", the force said, with one displaying hundreds of products in plain sight.

Investigations by Sandwell Trading Standards are ongoing.

Trading standards said illegal vapes were dangerous because they had not gone through safety tests and risks include dispensing too much nicotine.

Disposable vapes must have a tank capacity of no more than 2ml and 650 puffs, said police, adding anything over this number of puffs will contain more than the legal volume limit.

“We are continuing our efforts to take illegal vapes and counterfeit cigarettes off our streets and ultimately safeguard the public," said John Tranter, from WMP's partnership team in Sandwell.

“Thanks to our partnership work with Sandwell Council we are disrupting wider criminal activity and protecting the well-being of the community.”