Illegal vapes and tobacco worth £75k are seized

The operation in Wellingborough was a joint effort between Northamptonshire Police and the local trading standards team

A police force says it has seized more than £75,000 worth of illegal tobacco and vapes.

Northamptonshire Police inspected five buildings in Wellingborough, and discovered illicit products in four of them.

In total, 11,480 cigarettes, 2.3kg of tobacco and 998 vaping devices were confiscated from the shops with a total value of £77,260.

Sgt Nic Nawaz, from the neighbourhood policing team, said: "People may see the sale of illicit tobacco as a low-level crime but the truth is, not only can it be very dangerous for people's health, it can also be a sign of more sinister serious and organised crime."

'Will not tolerate'

A BBC investigation revealed the number of illegal vapes seized at the UK border quadrupled last year as UK authorities wrestled with unlicensed imports amid a surge in youth vaping.

More than 4.5 million vapes, weighing nearly ten tonnes, were seized over the last 12 months, four times more than 2022.

Disposable e-cigarettes have strict limits on their nicotine levels in the UK.

Following the inspections, which took place on 12 November, Mr Naraz said his team would not "tolerate" any kind of criminal activity in "our town".

Further investigations into the stores are under way, police said.