This week, members of GMP Rochdale's CST joined forces with Rochdale Council's Trading Standards in visiting four retailers across the town that were suspected of selling illegal vapes.
The legal limit of puffs in a 'normal' vape is 600/700 and anything over this has not been tested and can therefore be harmful to anyone using them. Most of the vapes seized were 3500 puffs and above.
Not only are these illegal vapes harmful to health, but they also put children at risk of criminal exploitation and child sexual exploitation.
The flavours of these vapes are attractive to children and the levels of nicotine in them are highly addictive, meaning children are also being coerced into criminal activity and sexual exploitation, to enable them to continue using them.
DC Chris Davies of Rochdale Complex Safeguarding Team at GMP said: "We have been running Op Vigilant on a monthly basis - a multi-agency response to child exploitation - since 2021 and during these days of action, we visit premises around Rochdale to act on intelligence that GMP has been provided with.
"We have been out with Trading Standards and we have focused on illegal vapes being sold in petrol stations, newsagents and other retail outlets. We are committed to being proactive in our work and uncovering any activity that may lead to CCE and CSE."
Rochdale Cabinet Member and Councillor Liam O'Rourke said: “We are again, really impressed with the work carried out by our trading standards team, assisted by GMP.
"As a result, over 750 illegal vapes, worth around £9,000, were seized from several retailers throughout the borough of Rochdale. The team had previously warned all retailers about the consequences of selling illegal vapes.
"All of the vapes seized were well above the permitted size, and the retailers will now be subject to further investigation.”
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