Lincolnshire Police discover large number of illegal vapes and cigarettes after raiding 5 shops in Grantham
Illegal vapes and cigarettes were found by police after five shops were raided.
Lincolnshire Police carried out raids across yesterday (Monday, March 11) in Grantham shops including Europe Foods and Bierdronka, both in Wharf Road, Grab and Go in London Road and Jazz Mini Market in Westgate.
Two men, aged 33 and 38, were also arrested on suspicion of weapon offences at Bierdronka after a handheld taser and suspected incapacitant spray - similar to pepper spray - were found in the store room and behind the counter.
They have since been released on bail.
Officers found a large quantity of illegal vapes and cigarettes in Bierdronka, and also illegal vapes in Europe Foods.
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In both cases, some of the goods were found hidden in a storage room behind false panels within shelves.
A large number of illegal vapes and cigarettes were also discovered in Grab and Go and the Jazz Mini Market, which were also concealed in hidden compartments.
Some of the disposable vapes discovered offered 9,000 to 15,000 puffs per vape, when the legal limit is 600 puffs per vape.
The goods were discovered with the help of a sniffer dog.
Sergeant Lee Mayfield, of Lincolnshire Police, said: “Our primary goal is to keep our community safe from harm, and illicit cigarettes, vapes and tobacco pose a serious risk to health as well as fuel funding for other related criminal activity.
"The sale of goods like this also has an economic impact by causing a shift away from footfall and purchases for authentic retailers.
“Most importantly, this is an issue which the public have told us they care about, and it’s right that they looked to their local Neighbourhood Policing Team to take action.
“We planned this jointly with Trading Standards as the agency with authority over illicit goods, and the results have been better than we hoped.
“Our next step will be seeking closure orders on the venues to prevent further harm to the public.”
The case is now being investigated by the Lincolnshire Trading Standards.
Principal Trading Standards officer Andy Wright said: "We have now set up working arrangements with Police and other partners in Grantham, Spalding, Boston, Lincoln, Gainsborough and Skegness to combat trade in illegal cigarettes and vapes. The results of such partnership working are plain to see.
“Many of the cigarettes seized were counterfeit, and none of those seized had been subject to UK Duty payment. This undermines local businesses who seek to trade legally.
"In one premises I found a failed asylum seeker with no right to work in charge of the shop. Details will be passed to Immigration Officers for further investigation.
“We have received information from members of the public that some of the businesses concerned have been linked to sales of vapes to persons under the age of 18 (vapes are an age restricted product).
"It is particularly concerning that some of the vapes recovered contained 15,000 ‘puffs’, or 25ml of fluid.
“This equates to roughly the same nicotine content as 315 average king size cigarettes."