More than £9,000 worth of illicit vapes seized from two Northampton shops

More than £9,000 worth of illicit vapes have been seized from two shops in Northampton.

On Thursday, November 23, teams from Northamptonshire Police and West Northamptonshire Trading Standards visited two stores in Wellingborough Road and Abington Square.

At one of the shops, £4,650 worth of vapes were seized and another £4,570 worth were seized from the other.

Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant Aaron Dilley said: “Whilst licensed, regulated vapes can be a useful tool to help adults quit smoking, the illicit vape trade is exceptionally dangerous - often containing harmful, psychoactive substances that can have serious health issues.

“These vapes often make their way into the hands of young people who have no idea how dangerous they really are.

“By taking these items off our streets, we are not only safeguarding people from consuming dangerous substances, but also disrupting serious and organised crime, which is often associated with these types of seizures."

Last week’s operation follows one in Kettering at the beginning of the month which saw three stores visited and £80,000 worth of illicit tobacco, cigarettes and vapes found and seized.

Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Engagement and Regulatory Services at WNC, added: “We are committed to working collaboratively with Northamptonshire Police to prevent illegal vapes and cigarettes from being sold to young people and residents across the area illegally.

"Our trading standards team are working proactively with the police to tackle this head on, and I am pleased that together we’ve prevented £9,000 worth of illegal vapes being sold to our residents.”