Thousands of illegal vapes seized in Rotherham crackdown

Thousands of suspected counterfeits and unfit for sale vapes were seized from shops in Rotherham last year as part of a joint operation between South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Council’s Trading Standards team.

The partnership work between Rotherham Central Neighbourhood Policing Team and the council has resulted in £563,000 worth of counterfeit vapes being recovered.

After a store has been identified through local intelligence, police officers support the Trading Standards officers who use their powers to seize the vapes before overseeing the prosecution.

“These vapes are undercutting legitimate businesses and unfortunately sometimes find their ways into the hands of children – posing potential health risks,” Rotherham Central NPT Inspector John Crapper said.

“This excellent work shows how important partnership work is. Working together on the issues that matter the most to local communities is what pushes us to achieve results like these. The hard work does not stop, and we will continue to focus on this issue.”

Andrew Bramidge, Rotherham Council’s strategic director of regeneration and environment, added: “As a partnership, the council and South Yorkshire Police are committed to tackling the sale of illegal vapes. Illicit tobacco and vapes, many with added synthetic hazardous chemicals in them, can be associated with significant health problems for users, along with funding potential criminal activity.

“We will continue to work with local businesses to ensure they are complying with the law, and any retailers who continue to sell illegal products will have them confiscated and face prosecution.”

Anyone with information on the suspected sale of illicit vapes or tobacco are encouraged to report it online or by calling 101.