Thousands of vapes and cigarettes seized in raids
Northumbria PoliceIllegal cigarettes, vapes and hand-rolled tobacco with a value of £25,000 have been seized from spots including a hydraulic lift hidden under a CCTV unit and the inside of an electric butchering bone saw.
Northumbria Police used two sniffer dogs to carry out a day of raids in Sunderland and Washington, working alongside trading standards officers and the North East Regional Crime Unit.
More than 2,200 cigarettes were found along with 1,000 vapes and 650 pouches of hand-rolled tobacco.
Almost 500 "non-compliant food items" were also seized.
Insp Graham Cox said: "What may seem like a harmless vape to some, may actually be linked to much wider types of offending – and often serious and organised crime."
Northumbria PoliceSunderland City Council's Lindsey Leonard, cabinet member for the environment, warned illegal tobacco can often see "floor sweepings or saw dust" used by criminals as they attempt to maximise their profits.
She added sellers of such products did not carry out the usual age checks "so they're as likely to be sold to children, getting them hooked on a possibly fatal addiction".