Illicit vapes and tobacco worth £5k seized in raid

Illegal tobacco and vapes with a street value of about £5,000 have been seized from a business in York.

Police and Trading Standards officials visited the premises in Clifton last week and found non-compliant vapes as well as counterfeit and illicit cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, according to City of York Council.

The products would be investigated and appropriate legal action would be taken, a spokesperson said.

Jenny Kent, the council's executive member with portfolio for trading standards, said: "The illicit market in tobacco and vapes makes harmful products cheaper and more easily available, especially to those below the legal age limit."

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said the raid on the premises was the result of the force working closely with colleagues in Trading Standards.

A total of 177 non-compliant vapes with a retail value of £2,124 were found at the premises, the council said.

Meanwhile, 2,250 counterfeit and illicit cigarettes valued at £731, and 1,450g of counterfeit and illicit hand-rolling tobacco valued at £2,086 were also discovered.

Kent said: "Illicit vapes are becoming much more prevalent and are partly responsible for the rise in young people vaping.

"Our public health advice is that while we support e-cigarettes as effective quit aids for adults to stop smoking, people who don't smoke shouldn't vape."

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