VAPE shops were found with secret compartments containing illegal tobacco, vapes and cannabis.
Members of the police, BCP Council’s Trading Standards team and HM Revenue and Customs targeted these shops on a day of action in The Triangle and Bournemouth town centre.
HMRC and police officers seized a BMW and an Audi, with no right of appeal for the owners, due to HMRC legislation.
Bournemouth police reminded those thinking of buying cheap, counterfeit tobacco are not getting the brands they think, and are very convincing copies.
These products are filled with ‘sub-standard tobacco and horrendous chemicals’ due to the environment in which they have been manufactured.
This is organised crime, with products sourced from eastern Europe.
The force said members of the public who purchase this tobacco are feeding directly into organised crime, which is a ‘major threat to national security’.
Two vape shops are under further investigation by Trading Standards, with closure orders considered as part of the process.
Dorset Police and the council are working closely over the next year to take an ‘extremely hard stance on organised crime in Bournemouth town centre’.
The county force said community intelligence on this is ‘key’. Reports can be made through the Dorset Police website or anonymously through Crimestoppers.
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