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WINDSOR – Search warrants served Monday at two businesses in Windsor resulted in the seizure of over 200 counterfeit items.

Bertie Sheriff Tyrone Ruffin said his deputies, in partnership with the office of the North Carolina Secretary of the State and the Granville County Sheriff’s Office, executed searches at Z’s Tobacco and Vape Store and The Stop Shop Tobacco Plus Store.

Ruffin said the counterfeit items seized collectively from both stores included vapes, drug paraphernalia, clothing, iPods, and other trademarked novelty items.

“As a proactive initiative, undercover purchases from local vape stores were done which resulted in the searches of these local establishments,” Ruffin said. “These searches were targeted for counterfeit trademarks and any items that could be harmful to our citizens, especially our children.

“One of my main concerns as Sheriff about items found in these type of establishments is that some of these items are illegal, they are harmful, and they target our children,” Ruffin added.

He stressed that the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office will continue to be proactive with initiatives such as the one carried out on Monday.

“We will continue to educate parents and children about counterfeit items that can be harmful or deadly to them,” Ruffin stated.

Ruffin thanked the other agencies that assisted in Monday’s search, to include the Windsor Police Department, NC Alcohol Law Enforcement, and District Attorney Kim Scott and the 7th Prosecutorial District Attorney’s Office.

Last week, Investigators with the Bertie County Sheriff’s Office assisted in a multi-county operation in Granville and Vance counties. During that operation, deputies confiscated thousands of dollars of THC-infused products hidden in counterfeit brand packaging for snacks and drinks as well thousands of dollars in US currency.