Gang Steals £46k Vapes in Washington Warehouse Raid

A gang of four men from Greater Manchester and Merseyside broke into a warehouse in Washington near Sunderland and stole approximately £46,000 worth of vapes, narrowly missing hitting a business owner with a van as they fled. The owners were alerted by their security company and caught the men in the act, leading to the arrest of the defendants in Thirsk, North Yorkshire, where police found one van and some stolen goods; the second van remains missing. The defendants, who required Kurdish and Iranian interpreters during court proceedings, received suspended prison sentences and unpaid work orders after admitting burglary. The break-in caused about £3,600 in property damage, and one business owner expressed anxiety about the burglars possibly returning. In separate but related incidents, other individuals were charged or sentenced for stealing vapes and cigarettes from shops in different parts of the UK, including a woman in Pontarddulais awaiting sentencing for robbery and theft and a man in Whitehaven receiving a community order for burglary involving vape thefts. These cases highlight ongoing issues with theft and burglary targeting vape products across the region.