Police Uncover Illegal Vapes and Cigarettes Hidden Beneath Shop Floorboards

Law enforcement officials confiscated hundreds of illicit vapes and cigarettes following the discovery of a cache “squirrelled away” beneath shop floorboards. On 6 November, officers conducted simultaneous visits to two establishments in Rugby, where they uncovered products valued at thousands of pounds. Warwickshire Police reported that they observed something “iffy” within one of the premises, prompting them to raise the floorboards, which exposed the illegal vapes. The collaborative operation, conducted with trading standards, resulted in the discovery of nearly 2,400 vapes, over 1,300 packs of cigarettes, and 78 pouches of hand rolling tobacco. A spokesperson for the force stated, “Plans to sell thousands of illegal vapes and cigarettes in Rugby fell through the floor, almost literally, after we paid a visit to a couple of suspicious shops in Rugby last week.” The spokesperson added, “We gathered lots of intelligence for further inquiries.”