ILLEGAL vapes, cigarettes and hand rolled tobacco worth more than £3,000 have been seized.
The items with an estimated street value of more than £3,226 were seized from two retail premises in Ringwood and Totton, with some items concealed inside an armchair and an oven.
The seizure was a joint operation between Hampshire County Council’s Trading Standards team and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, making it the latest success in an ongoing clampdown on potentially dangerous products for sale in the county.
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According to Hampshire County Council, the covert operation took place on May 27, and led to the discovery and seizure of more than 500 illicit vapes, cigarettes and hand rolled tobacco.
Councillor Kirsty North, Hampshire County Council’s cabinet lead for universal services, said: “This is another impressive result in our wider crackdown on rogue traders who put profits before public safety.
“We are committed to working with Hampshire Police and our local communities to identify shops that trade illegally.
"Dodgy traders undermine legitimate businesses and risk people’s health, and this focus is paying off.”
The incident comes soon after a similar operation last month, where Trading Standards officers, supported by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police and other partners, seized £8,989 worth of illicit vapes, cigarettes and rolled tobacco products in New Milton.
Hampshire County Council confirmed information about the sale of counterfeit vapes or tobacco, or any sales to underage people, can be reported in confidence to the Stop Illegal Tobacco hotline on 0300 999 6 999 or via the Stop Illegal Tobacco website.
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