Police uncover £500,000 worth of illegal vapes in Rotherham sting
Officers have said that the seizure will help to protect local children
Last updated 5th Jan 2025
South Yorkshire Police have uncovered an operation to sell counterfeit vapes worth £500,000 in Rotherham.
The force has been working together with Rotherham Council Trading Standards team to help discover thousands of illegal vape products being found in the town's shops.
This co-operation between the two organisations has resulted in over £563,000 in illegal vapes being found and confiscated.
Illegal or counterfeit vaping products often are filled with contaminants that can make using them more harmful - as they breach safety standards.
Speaking about the move, John Crapper from South Yorkshire Police said: "These vapes are undercutting legitimate businesses and unfortunately sometimes find their ways into the hands of children – posing potential health risks.
"Our work to stop these unfit products from hitting the streets of Rotherham forms part of our ongoing work with Rotherham Council to ensure the safety of our local communities.
"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."
Similarly, Andrew Bramidge from from Rotherham Council said that the local authority were proud to be working together.
"As a partnership, the Council and South Yorkshire Police are committed to tackling the sale of illegal vapes," Bramidge said.
"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."