Huge haul of illegal vapes seized from a Hull shop
‘THEY ARE SOLD TO CHILDREN’
THOUSANDS of illegal vapes have been seized from a shop in Hull as part of a trading standards crackdown.
Humberside Police say the illicit products are regularly being sold to children in the area, despite the legal age to buy a vape being 18. Officers have committed to taking a tough approach on illegal vapes, cigarettes and tobacco, due to links with organised crime and compromised safety standards.
In January alone, Humberside Police and Trading Standards carried out five warrants in Inglemire Lane, Endike Lane and Orchard Park Road. Upon entering each premises, a quantity of illicit tobacco and a number of vapes were seized.
Shops in the area have been known to get creative with their hiding places, in an attempt to throw officers off the scent. Illegal vapes and cigarettes have been found in kitchen towels, behind TVS and in fridges, to name just a few.
A recent raid in the Spring Bank area, seemed to be more straightforward, however, with huge boxes being found in what appears to be a storage room.
Sharing the image of a large quantity of vapes on their social media channels, a spokesperson for Humberside Police said: “Shop raided in the Spring Bank area of Hull. Thousands of illegal vapes seized. Continuing our fight against illegal vapes that are regularly being sold to children.”
Members of the public have voiced their opinions online, and claim that raids are not enough to stop the perpetrators. One person said: “It’s okay raiding these shops and confiscating the contraband but allowing them to continue trading (in most cases) is just creating a vicious circle.”
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute echoed this and is calling for harsher penalties.
In its vaping report, it said: “The penalty for selling vaping products to people under the age of sale currently stands at £2,500, this clearly is not working well enough as a deterrent and should be increased with a progressive aspect for repeat offenders.”