The shops, located on Pothoekstraat in Antwerpen-Noord, will remain closed from Tuesday October 20 to Saturday December 19. Police conducted checks following reports of the sale of prohibited nicotine products to young people. In one establishment, 250 illegal disposable vapes and 60 pots of snus were found. In the other, during two inspections, 87 vapes and e-cigarettes, 136 pots of snus, and nine crack pipes were discovered.
The prohibited products were deliberately concealed. Police found snus in Kinder Bueno packaging and vapes in beer packaging. A stock was also hidden above a false ceiling. In one of the shops, after an initial inspection, police again noted the sale of prohibited products, even though the stock had been hidden elsewhere.
Several young people stated they had purchased snus in the shops. During a check, groups of minors also entered, admitting they wanted to buy snus. The shops' location, directly opposite Campus Pothoek of the Karel de Grote Hogeschool and Campus Sint-Eligius of the Scheppersinstituut, makes the incidents particularly serious.
Both shops also violated legal opening hours, leading to continuous customer traffic until late in the evening and at night. Young people loitered until late, consuming purchased alcohol on the pavement. Vehicles stopped in the middle of the road or parked on the bus lane, and there was a constant flow of scooters, fatbikes, and mopeds. In the immediate vicinity, police registered no fewer than 61 parking and traffic offenses recently. The persistent traffic, noise, and gatherings disrupted the sleep of residents and compromised road safety.
The temporary closure of the shops on Pothoekstraat, an area of concern in Antwerpen-Noord, aims to stop the sale of prohibited products, protect young people, and restore peace and safety in the neighbourhood.
