In a coordinated effort, the Civil Guard and Local Police in Xàbia have successfully dismantled a contraband operation involving expired vape products. The operation resulted in the confiscation of over fifty-five thousand vaping devices and related products aimed at underage consumers. Authorities have arrested a fifty-six-year-old British man, who owned the shops implicated in this illegal activity.

The investigation began on the twenty-ninth of November twenty twenty-four, when local police reported suspicions regarding the sale of nicotine-based products to minors. Following surveillance, officers identified two youths buying the vapes, confirming their age and the content’s legality.

Subsequent inspections revealed shocking findings, including expired merchandise from the United Kingdom, China, and the United States, all lacking required Spanish labelling and import documentation. Additionally, nine thousand euros in cash and illegal drugs were found, leading to further inquiry into the owner’s operations.

On the sixteenth of December twenty twenty-four, a follow-up search at a second shop uncovered another thirty-four thousand contraband items under similar conditions. The cumulative value of the seized products surpasses one hundred fifty thousand euros, resulting in the owner facing serious charges of contraband and related offences. The confiscated drugs are now under review by health authorities, while the cash has been secured by the local court.