MORE THAN 400 illegal vapes were seized from a store in Rubery on Monday (June 9) following a police raid.
A total of 447 illegal vapes with an estimated value of £3,500 were removed from Rubery Express on New Road by Bromsgrove Safer Neighbourhood Team who were working alongside Trading Standards.
It is thought approximately half of the vapes seized were the single use type which the shop had previously been advised were prohibited from sale as of June 1, 2025.
Police Sergeant Katie Ward of Bromsgrove SNT said: “Working with our partners at Trading Standards we visited the store on Monday following intelligence that the vapes being sold from there were illegal.
“We will continue to visit stores suspected of selling counterfeit tobacco and illicit vaping products to protect our communities from harm and act where appropriate.
“The black market of illegal products takes revenue away from the legitimate sales of legal tobacco and vapes by law-abiding retailers and such counterfeit and illicit items are often linked to organised criminal gangs and modern-day slavery.”
