A city centre vape shop is under investigation after dodgy tobacco and dangerous vapes worth about £40,000 were seized during a raid.
Sussex Police found the items when they executed a warrant at Lera Vapes in Western Road on Tuesday, 24 September.
They handed them to Brighton and Hove City Council, which is now investigating.
A police spokeswoman said: “Officers were in attendance at a shop in Western Road, Brighton on Tuesday, September 24, when suspected illegal vapes and tobacco were located within the premises.
“The items were seized and the case has been referred to Trading Standards.”
Councillor David McGregor, chair of Brighton & Hove City Council’s licensing committee, said: “Sussex Police recently made our trading standards team aware of a significant amount of suspected illicit tobacco at these premises.
“Vapes which were over capacity and did not have correct safety warnings were also found.
“These items were seized and handed over to trading standards for further investigation and an initial examination of the goods suggests they have a value of around £40,000.
“This is a good example of the positive collaboration between trading standards and Sussex Police and our joint on-going efforts to remove illicit goods from our city’s streets.”
So many Vape shops have opened between St James’s Street and St George’s Road. Don’t the council think that there’s something dodgy about that because I do. They are empty all day long and they all look the same, cleary money laundering. It’s beyond me why the council would allow so many of the same all opening at the same time in the same area. Something stinks here!
Agree on that. Same with the dozens of phone repair shops. Some legit but definitely some that are just a front
Don’t forget the barber shops.
The council has no power to stop a vape shop setting up in an existing retail premises.
And yes both the police and licensing teams do regular checks themselves and spot cheks based on complaints.
B&H news has reported on various cases where stock has been confiscated.
see for example
https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2024/03/27/brighton-shop-ordered-to-close-for-selling-illegal-vapes/
https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2023/11/03/illegal-vapes-and-tobacco-worth-17k-seized-by-council/
https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2023/07/06/hundreds-of-illegal-e-cigarettes-seized/
precisely – it’s HMRC, trading standards plus others that I cant remember that need to be made aware of these operations for them to then investigate. Council are only interested in their cut – which is business rates
Trading standards are part of the council!
As is the licensing department.
Is “dodgy” a legal term now ?
where’s the “legal” statement that you’re referring to please?”
Well it says “dodgy tobacco”. If they had a warrant to enter the premises, based on a reasonable suspicion of non-duty paid or counterfeit tobacco being on the premises, possibly for sale. They also may have gone in to look for non-compliant vapes.
The fact that nobody was arrested tells me that the tobacco was probably legitimate. The vapes have been handed to trading standards, no doubt for analysis. The police can tell instantly if tobacco is not supposed to be for sale in the UK.
Using a term like “dodgy” when nothing has been proven is prejudicial to the course of the law.
Why have they been allowed to.continue trading?
If it closes it will become a ‘Turkish ‘ barbers. All part of the same scam
I’ve reported a shop to trading standards on Lewes road that tried to sell me iffy ciggies, do they care, nope. There is about 15 of these shops all with the same frontage, all owned by 1 person who’s employing his mates from Morocco. It’s a massive money laundering operation and the powers at be seem willingly oblivious to it.