Trading Standards seize illicit cigarettes and tobacco
17 Oct 2023 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
More than 24,000 illicit cigarettes and over 400 pouches of hand rolled tobacco with an estimated street value of £15,500 have been seized from a shop in Blyth.
Officers from Northumberland County Council’s Trading Standards attended the business premises in the Blyth area after intelligence indicated that a local shop was supplying the items.
Accompanied by officers from Northumbria Police, the premises were checked for cheap black-market tobacco. The illegal tobacco was found at the rear of the business, packed in suitcases.
During the search, officers also seized a large quantity of illicit vapes.
It is the second such targeted inspection in the area this year. An enforcement operation carried out by Trading Standards earlier this year saw the recovery of over 8,000 illicit cigarettes, tobacco and vapes, from another premises in Blyth. On this occasion, the illicit items were being hidden within the business premises of an unconnected and vulnerable shop owner.
Trading Standards have worked closely with landlords of both business premises from which sales of illicit tobacco have been made. Both businesses have now been closed down, and Trading Standards enquiries into criminal offences are ongoing.
Northumberland County Councillor Gordon Stewart, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Looking after our Communities said:
"With the help of the public within our neighbourhoods and the efforts of our Trading Standards team, our aim is to stop the supply of illicit tobacco across all communities in Northumberland and ensure that those responsible are brought to account.
“The sale of cheap tobacco discourages people from quitting smoking and encourages young people to start smoking from an early age. Buying cheap tobacco fuels the pockets of organised criminal gangs who are behind it, brings criminal activity into our communities and allows vulnerable people to be preyed upon.
“It is important that people come forward with any information they have about the supply of illicit tobacco in Northumberland. Assurances are made that all information provided is treated as confidential and can even be supplied to us anonymously through ‘Keep It Out’ reporting channels.”
Keep It Out is a campaign which is being run by Fresh, a regional tobacco control programme hosted by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust and backed by Northumberland County Council.
Information about illegal tobacco can be reported anonymously online at www.keepitout.co.uk or by phoning 0300 999 0000. Reports can also be made directly and in confidence to the Trading Standards team at Northumberland County Council, by email to tradingstandards@northumberland.gov.uk or by phoning 01670 623870.