Dog helps police track down illegal vapes in Cambridgeshire
Thousands of illegal vapes, cigarettes and tobacco were seized as part of a multi-agency operation.Police officers, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trading Standards and HMRC were assisted by Wagtail dogs, who were trained to detect tobacco, in the crackdown.During inspections in Ely, Soham and Littleport on Tuesday, 3,171 illegal vapes and 32,000 cigarettes were seized. Some of the vapes had oversized tanks and incorrect labelling, and others had not been notified to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. There were also tobacco products without the correct warnings and labelling in English.
Over the last two years, Trading Standards has seized about 13,000 illegal vapes and more than 100,000 illegal cigarettes across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.Sgt Mat Lupton-Pike, from the East Cambs Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "Illicit cigarettes, vapes and tobacco pose a serious risk to health as well as fuelling funding for other related criminal activity."We ask the public to continue to report any information or concerns to us."The more information we have, the more efficient we can be at targeting those causing harm to our communities."Peter Gell, service director, regulatory services for Cambridgeshire County Council said: "These ongoing, targeted enforcement operations send a clear message to the organised crime gangs that the sale of illegal tobacco and nicotine products will not be tolerated in Cambridgeshire, and that Trading Standards, the police and HMRC are committed to taking a hard line with anyone we uncover perpetrating these crimes."
Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
28 minutes ago
- Reuters
UK police studying Glastonbury performances after anti-Israel chants
GLASTONBURY, England, June 29 (Reuters) - British police said they were considering whether to launch an investigation after performers at Glastonbury Festival made anti-Israel comments during their shows. "We are aware of the comments made by acts on the West Holts Stage at Glastonbury Festival this afternoon," Avon and Somerset Police, in western England, said on X late on Saturday. Irish hip-hop group Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan made anti-Israeli chants in separate shows on the West Holts stage on Saturday. One of the members of Bob Vylan chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in a reference to the Israel Defense Forces. "Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation," the police statement said. The Israeli Embassy in Britain said it was "deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival". Prime Minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month it was "not appropriate" for Kneecap to appear at Glastonbury. The band's frontman Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offence last month for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah at a concert in November. He has denied the charge. A British government minister said it was appalling that the anti-Israel chants had been made at Glastonbury, and that the festival's organisers and the BBC broadcaster - which is showing the event - had questions to answer. Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he was also appalled by violence committed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. "I'd also say to the Israeli Embassy, get your own house in order in terms of the conduct of your own citizens and the settlers in the West Bank," Streeting told Sky News. "I wish they'd take the violence of their own citizens towards Palestinians more seriously," he said.
BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
Motorcyclist dies after crash on Surrey road
A motorcyclist has died after being found unresponsive on a road in Surrey, police were called to the A24 Horsham Road in Capel at 19:00 BST on rider, a man aged in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene, said Surrey Police. The force appealed for witnesses to the single vehicle crash or anyone with relevant dashcam footage to come forward.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
CCTV image appeal over attempted rape of woman in Doncaster
Police investigating reports of an attempted rape in Doncaster have issued a CCTV image of a man officers would like to speak to about the was reported to have happened at about 01:30 BST on Saturday as a woman was walking at Doncaster Harbour, according to South Yorkshire woman was believed to have been approached by a man who spoke to her and then dragged her to the floor and attempted to rape her before she fought him off and fled, a force spokesperson who recognised the man in the picture, who was white, aged between late 20s-30s, with only one eye and of stocky build with a dark beard, was asked to contact police. The man also had tattoos on his lower right leg and had short dark hair, fade-shaved to the side, the spokesperson Supt Nikki Shimwell, from South Yorkshire Police, said: "We understand that a report of this nature will cause concern within our communities. "We have been carrying out extensive inquiries to locate the suspect, and our investigation continues at pace, with officers dedicated to the case."We are now asking for your help to identify the man in the image, as we would like to speak to him in connection to the report."Anyone who saw the man in the CCTV image was warned not to approach him, but instead to call 999. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
