Operation Steel leads to five arrests as illegal vapes seized and cash recovered

We’ve seized illegal and counterfeit items worth thousands of pounds and made five arrests as part of a dedicated operation in North East Sheffield.

Officers from the North East Neighbourhood Policing Team braved the freezing temperatures on Wednesday (8 January) as Operation Steel returned to the Burngreave area of the district.

Our officers were joined by local partners including Trading Standards and Parking Services from Sheffield City Council.

Operation Steel is designed to target repeat offenders in Sheffield, protect vulnerable people, and provide reassurance through proactive patrols and open land searches.

Wednesday’s operation saw a total of 1,182 illegal vapes being seized from three local businesses. The vapes were seized as the liquid tanks exceeded the 2ml legal limit. They had a combined retail value of £11,820.

We seized 134 packs of counterfeit or illegally smuggled cigarettes with a retail value of £807.

Weight loss pens known as Ozempic – which should only be accessed via a prescription – were also seized from a business.

Packs of shisha tobacco, oral tobacco, and Sildenafil tablets were among the other items confiscated by officers.

Speed enforcement sites were set up on Carlisle Street, Shirecliffe Road, and Cooks Wood Road.

Carlisle Street is a 30mph road but one driver was caught travelling at 46mph while three vehicles were clocked being driven at 40mph. Seven other speeding offences were recorded on the road.

In Shirecllife Road / Cooks Wood Road, a total of 21 offences were recorded. One car was caught travelling at 55mph while overtaking other vehicles.

As part of an ongoing investigation, a warrant was carried out which led to a quantity of cash being seized from an address along with numerous devices.

We seized two vehicles, including a Mitsubishi Pajaro which has had no road tax since February 2024. A BMW 3 Series was also taken off the roads with its driver being reported on summons for driving other than in accordance with a licence and for no insurance.

Inspector Alec Gibbons, who leads the neighbourhood policing team in NE Sheffield, said: “Operation Steel brings out the best in partnership working and Wednesday’s freezing temperatures were no match for our dedicated teams who secured some really positive results.   

“Our operation was supported by a civilian drug dog which allowed us to carry out 12 stop searches and led to two people being reported on summons for possession of Class B and Class A drugs.

“A joint operation between the RSPCA and our Dog Legislation Officers saw us act on intelligence to visit 14 homes where we believed there to be concern for the dogs’ welfare. We offered words of advice to owners who were found to be keeping dogs in poor conditions.  

“We also seized a suspected Pitbull that was found to be roaming alone on Robey Street, enquiries are ongoing to ascertain who its owner is.

“I hope Wednesday’s work re-emphasises our commitment to tackling all forms of criminality in Sheffield, but I want to make it clear that our efforts are not a ‘one-off’. We work seven days a week, 365 days a year to keep our communities safe – and we’re stronger with your help.

“If you suspect criminal activity is happening near where you live, work, or regularly visit in Sheffield, report it to us online or by calling 101. Together, we can make the city a safer place for everyone”.

Of the five arrests made on the day, three men were arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs after we recovered a quantity of suspected Class A substances.

Two of those men, aged 20 and 21, remain in police custody, while a 36-year-old man has been released on police bail.

The other two arrests came as part of fail to appear warrants issued by the courts and executed by our officers.