Latest news with #counterfeittobacco
BBC News
18-07-2025
- BBC News
Four Torbay stores closed for selling illegal vapes
Four Devon shops have been closed for selling illegal vapes and counterfeit tobacco following an operation by police. Devon and Cornwall Police said officers had worked with Heart of the South West Trading Standards to stop the sale of illegal products. It said this had resulted in four shops in Torbay being shut for three months, with an extension if necessary. The shops had previously been warned about what they were selling and continued to trade illegally, the force said. 'Safeguard local communities' Plymouth Magistrates' Court granted the closure orders for the shops at a hearing on Thursday, police added this came after previous inspections revealed stashes of illegal products, which were revealed with the help of specialist detection dogs. Insp Rob Harvey said: "This is a significant step to get four commercial premises closed on the same day by the court and sends a strong message to businesses that we will not tolerate illegal sales which could harm the public's health."We want to safeguard local communities and respond to concerns."He added: "We have found that this type of illegal activity can also harm trade for legitimate local businesses and is often linked to offences of modern-day slavery and exploitation." Devon and Cornwall Police said the premises subjected to closure orders were:American shop, 140 Union Street, TorquayPalace Mini Market, 36 Palace Ave, PaigntonTower Store, 10a Torquay Road, PaigntonPaignton Express, 40 Victoria Street, PaigntonAlex Fry, local Trading Standards operations manager, added: "This is a great example of how we have worked with our partners in Devon and Cornwall Police to act on intelligence and target unscrupulous sellers."There have been a total of 28 closure orders, commercial and residential, across Torquay, Newton, Exeter and surrounding areas of South Devon in the last 12 months, Devon and Cornwall Police said.
BBC News
11-07-2025
- BBC News
Dog sniffs out illegal vapes and cigarettes in cars in Dunstable
A sniffer dog has found hundreds of illegal vapes, cigarettes and pouches of tobacco stashed in a followed a raid by Bedfordshire Police, HMRC and Luton Borough Council trading standards on a shop in Dunstable on a nearby supermarket car park, 109 illegal vapes, 401 packets of illicit cigarettes and 57 pouches of counterfeit tobacco were found in a blue Ford Fiesta thanks to a tobacco dog from Wagtails UK.A follow-up search of a silver Ford Fiesta at the rear of the raided shop uncovered 191 illegal vapes. HMRC officers seized all the items and the vehicle in the car park, police said. Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
06-06-2025
- BBC News
Rochdale: Illegal products found under loo in closed-down shop
A shop has been ordered to close temporarily after illegal vapes and counterfeit tobacco were found on the premises, with some products hidden under a volumes of illegal and potentially dangerous goods were discovered at the Drake Street Food Store, also known as Polski Sklep, in Rochdale, during undercover visits, the local authority shop was also found to have sold foods not labelled in English and toys that did not meet safety standards, it added.A Rochdale Council spokesperson said that since June 2024, they had seized more than 33,000 fake cigarettes and 26kg of hand-rolled tobacco during a series of undercover visits there. The authority's deputy leader and portfolio holder for climate change and environment, Tricia Ayrton, said: "Our efforts to take these illegal products off our streets really uncover the extent these criminals will go to, to supply fake cigarettes and other items to their customers – not least concealing them in a hole under a toilet of all places."She said the people running the business "clearly" believed "they were above the law which is why we have been left with no alternative but to shut them down".Insp Meena Yasin, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "This closure order represents our work with trading standards to use enforcement legislation on business premises." A closure order was granted at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court on Wednesday after the council argued the illegal activity was likely to continue unless the business was will remain shut for a total of three months, which is the maximum period of time enforceable under the terms of the closure in fake packaging were found to have been sold well below standard prices at £4 and £5, with illegal tobacco products also found concealed inside the store, in a commercial bin at the rear of the property and in nearby parked warnings were given to the director of the business, the property's landlords and shop staff, but they had continued to sell illegal goods from the premises at 138a Drake Street, the council who is aware of illicit tobacco or any other illegal items on sale at a local business is asked to contact Rochdale Council's trading standards team. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
15-05-2025
- BBC News
Thousands of illegal vapes seized from van in Coventry
Up to £10,000 worth of illegal vapes, counterfeit tobacco and prescription drugs have been seized after a van was searched in Coventry. West Midlands Police and Trading Standards carried out a joint operation in the city on Monday. The team visited a shop on Foleshill Road, where a man, who attempted to run away from officers, was apprehended and searched. The force added the items were discovered after a nearby van was searched and inquiries were continuing alongside Trading Standards officers. BBC analysis revealed last month that more than six million illegal vaping products had been seized by Trading Standards officers across England in the past three years. Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Shop shut by court order for second time in a year
A shop has been closed for a second time over "illegal vapes and counterfeit tobacco". In October last year the Roman Express store in Loughborough town centre was shut down by a court order for four weeks. The Church Gate store reopened and began trading under a new name, Go4vape, but monitoring visits in March led to further action from Leicestershire Police and Leicestershire County Council. On Wednesday, a second court order was obtained from Leicester Magistrates' Court against the owner, closing the store a second time. The three month order prevents anyone from entering the shop until 23 July. As well as the vape and tobacco offences which led to the authorities obtaining two successful court orders, Trading Standards officers also conducted an underage sales test purchase in August last year. A young person was not only sold a vape without being challenged, but the vape itself was illegal, the authority said. Gary Connors, head of Leicestershire Trading Standards, said closures work to "disrupt" people willing to "put our local community at a public health risk". He added: "The owner's flagrant disregard for the courts is astonishing and it highlights that Leicestershire County Council Trading Standards officers will follow up on businesses to make sure they're complying with the law." Mr Connors said persistent offenders could be "dealt with individually through the criminal prosecution process" and that the store would face monitoring should it reopen. He added: "We will continue to clamp down on the sale of illicit cigarettes and vapes, as well as underage sales, to protect Leicestershire residents from traders who break the law." Sharing the closure order, a spokesperson for Charnwood Police said: "Illegal products such as these impact on the health of the local community, and also affect those legitimate businesses trading nearby. "There is also a link between these businesses and areas of anti-social behaviour." Follow BBC Leicester on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Shop closed after hundreds of illegal vapes seized Children given vape warning after 20,000 seized Leicestershire Police Leicestershire County Council
