Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Counterfeit vapes and tobacco worth over £100,000 seized in Sandwell this year

Counterfeit vapes and tobacco worth over £100,000 seized in Sandwell this year
Illegal vapes were found stuffed inside an oven during a Tipton shop raid. (Photo: Sandwell Council via LDRS)

Around 3200 vapes, 127,300 cigarettes and 23 pouches of shisha, with a retail value of more than £100,000, have been seized in Sandwell this year, the local council has said.

The council added that West Midlands Police are working with its Trading Standards to identify shops in the area that are selling counterfeit products and taking action to disrupt and stop their illegal activity.


This includes conducting intelligence-based inspections, seizing counterfeit products and pursuing closure orders on stores that persistently ignore the law.

During target enforcement activity at a number of stores in Sandwell earlier this year, officers found a haul of vapes hidden in a hidden loft hatch which was sniffed out by a tobacco sniffer dog.

However, some shop owners are more brazen than others as officers found hundreds of vapes and cigarettes displayed in plain sight behind the counter of another store. Trading Standards investigations are ongoing.

“We are continuing our efforts to take illegal vapes and counterfeit cigarettes off our streets and ultimately safeguarding the public,” Daniel Allen, partnerships inspector for Sandwell, said.

“Thanks to our partnership work with Sandwell Council we are disrupting wider criminal activity and protecting the wellbeing of the community.”

Cllr Suzanne Hartwell, Sandwell Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for neighbourhoods and communities, added: “This successful operation demonstrates our partnership commitment to protecting residents by cracking down on the sale of illegal products. This work also helps protect law-abiding businesses from the sale of illegal goods which can create an unfair trading environment for the vast majority of businesses that always follow the rules and buy and sell legal products.

"Retailers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their approach but our message is clear - you may hide it, but we will find it.

“In addition, illegal tobacco and vapes can harm our residents' health, so it's vital we restrict their availability. Illegal vapes are dangerous because they haven't gone through safety tests and there can be severe risks including dispensing too much nicotine, banned substances or encouraging over consumption.”

More for you

Jisp unveils new NPD service

Jisp unveils new NPD service

Retail technology company Jisp has launched an NPD service as part of its new Direct to Retailer business unit.

The new NPD service will allow brands to launch or trial new products in a guaranteed number of convenience store locations, with on the ground review of execution by Jisp’s retail growth manager team, and performance data and insights deliverable through its scanning technology and back-office systems.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tesco launches price cuts in Express convenience stores
File image of Tesco Express

Tesco launches price cuts in Express convenience stores

Tesco is slashing the price of more than 222 own-brand and branded products in its Express convenience stores.

Essentials including milk, bread, pasta and coffee are included in the lines which have been reduced in price by an average of more than 10 per cent at Tesco Express stores. The retail giant has made more than 2,800 price cuts across stores in recent months. With 2,048 of convenience stores at the end of the 2023-24 financial year, Tesco aims to benefit hundreds of thousands of customers from the cheaper deals.

Keep ReadingShow less
vape and cigarette
Photo: iStock

One in five ex-smokers in England now vape, study finds


Summary
1. One in five people who have successfully quit smoking in England currently vape, with an estimated 2.2 million individuals using e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool.
2. The increase in vaping among ex-smokers is largely driven by the use of e-cigarettes in quit attempts, with a rise in vaping uptake among people who had previously quit smoking for many years before taking up vaping.
3. While vaping may be a less harmful option compared to smoking, there are concerns about the potential long-term implications of vaping on relapse risk and nicotine addiction. Further research is needed to assess the impact of vaping on smoking cessation outcomes.


Keep ReadingShow less
Bira engages with Treasury on Budget fallout, business rate reform
(Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Getty Images

Bira engages with Treasury on Budget fallout, business rate reform

Independent retailers association Bira has held a meeting with members of the Treasury team to discuss concerns following its robust response to the Government’s recent Budget announcement.

The Budget, labelled by Bira as "devastating" for independent retailers, was met with widespread indignation from Bira members.

Keep ReadingShow less
East of England Co-op achieves 70 per cent productivity boost with Electronic Shelf Labels

East of England Co-op achieves 70 per cent productivity boost with Electronic Shelf Labels

East of England Co-op said it has improved labour productivity whilst improving customer service delivery in-store with an Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) solution from Pricer, the leading in-store automation and communication solutions provider.

Established in 1861, East of England Co-op is now the largest independent retailer operating in the East of England. In addition to the 120 food stores it operates in the region, the regional cooperative also offers customers specialist services, such as funerals, security, travel agents and petrol filling stations across Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire.

Keep ReadingShow less