UK: Illegal Cigarettes Worth £10k Seized in Series of Midland Shop Raids

Source from:  Midlands Express and Star (uk) 11/27/2014

Teams of officers targeted shops and off licences in west Birmingham using two sniffer dogs, as part of a continued crackdown on the sale of illicit tobacco.

They were searching for products which have been smuggled in, illegally produced or for which no duty has been paid.

Birmingham City Council's trading standards officers working with local police teams, also seized 120 packets of illegal hand-rolling tobacco with an estimated street value of £1,800.

Illegal tobacco products were found at three of the ten premises, the majority of the haul was found at one premise. Cigarettes and tobacco were hidden under fridges and in roof spaces in the cellar in an attempt to avoid detection. All products will be destroyed in due course.

The sniffer dogs used in these raids were provided by BWY Canine Specialist Search Dogs.

The raids follow the success of Operation Henry, which successfully seized illegal tobacco products with a street value of more than £57,000 during raids earlier this year.

The illegal products seized included counterfeit and cheap foreign labelled products that breach consumer protection legislation and are also non-duty paid; these cannot be legally sold in the UK.

Councillor Barbara Dring, Chair of the city council's Licensing and Public Protection Committee, said: "These raids have successfully taken around £11,800 worth of illegal tobacco out of circulation."

"Those involved in dealing in illegal tobacco may be encouraging people, including children to smoke by providing a cheap source. This activity also brings crime into our neighbourhoods, which is why it is important to clamp down on it. This also has an impact on those businesses that are trading legally."

"The detection dogs can find tobacco and cigarettes even if hidden in the most unlikely places. Offenders need to know that they will face consequences if they choose to deal in these illegal products." Enditem