Illegal vapes containing up to 10,000 puffs seized in Bury St Edmunds

Disposable vapes containing 2000, 3500, 4000, 9000 and 10,000 puffs were seized in a multi-agency effort to crackdown on illegal goods in Bury St Edmunds.

As part of national licencing week, police and HMRC officers visited six shops in the town, seizing illegal vapes. Over 500 disposable vapes, some specifically designed to attract children, removed from the shelves in the operation.

Meanwhile, over 200 bottles of alcohol were also seized during the operation.

Suffolk Police has arrested one man for an offence under the Immigration Act. The matter has been handed over to the Immigration Service, who will deal with the suspect with the potential to issue a civil penalty to the employer.

Employers can be penalised if they employ someone who does not have the right to work and they did not do the correct checks, or did not do them properly. If this happens, they might get a ‘referral notice’ and they may have to pay a civil penalty (fine) of up to £20,000 for each illegal worker.

“This was a very productive operation as illicit tobacco and alcohol contributes to harm within the local community and often goes hand in hand with anti-social behaviour and other like offences,” Sgt Dan Peck from Bury St Edmunds police said.

“I’d like to pass on my thanks to all the others agencies involved – a great bit of partnership working as part of our ongoing effort to keep residents safe from illegal products.”