By: Stewart McConnell, Local Democracy Reporter
In a major united approach, Police Scotland Ayrshire teamed up with North Ayrshire Trading Standards and a Consumer Protection dog unit last month, to help tackle the growing problem of illegal vapes, with three stores targeted in the blitz.
Boo – the hero of the day, a Labrador/German Wirehaired Pointer – was specifically trained to sniff out nicotine produce.
Five vape stockists across North Ayrshire were visited on 25 April.
Two Irvine stores and a Saltcoats premises were found to be selling illicit nicotine products. These items were seized.
Some of these items were very well concealed – but were found in seconds by Boo and his professional dog handler.
Counterfeit vapes usually contain dangerously high levels of nicotine, and often do not meet UK standards – failing in child resistant packaging, leakage protection and other major health and safety flaws.
Some of the disposable vape products seized contained a nicotine equivalent of over 800 cigarettes – over 16 times the UK legal limit.
(Local Democracy Reporting Service)
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