Police Seize Thousands of Illegal Tobacco, Vapes in Dorset Shop Raids

A coordinated two-day enforcement operation in Dorset targeted illegal sales of tobacco and vapes across six shops in Weymouth, Ferndown, and Gillingham, with illicit goods found in five of them. Authorities including Dorset Council’s trading standards team, Dorset Police, and HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC), supported by a specialist tobacco detection dog, seized 17,000 cigarettes, 15.75 kg of hand-rolling tobacco, 1,300 vapes, shisha tobacco, 30 tubs of nicotine pouches, and suspected controlled drugs. Three vehicles used for storing contraband were also seized by HMRC and will be scrapped or auctioned. Councillor Gill Taylor emphasized that illegal tobacco sales harm public health and legitimate businesses, and highlighted the importance of multi-agency efforts to disrupt criminal networks. Separately, in Exmouth, two shops were ordered to close for three months by magistrates after being caught selling illegal tobacco and vapes to children, following a police sting operation using detection dogs. Authorities encourage the public to report information about illegal tobacco sales to support ongoing investigations and enforcement activities.