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20,000 illegal cigarettes sniffed out in raid on Berkshire shop

illicit tobacco, alcohol seized from Derry City stores
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A sniffer dog helped to find more than 20,000 illegal and counterfeit cigarettes of worth £5,000 during a raid on a shop in Reading in Berkshire.

According to local reports, the illegal products were seized during an inspection at European Mini Mart on Oxford Road on Jan 31. The visit took place under Operation CeCe, a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HM Revenue and Customs.


The counterfeit goods were found hidden in fast delivery cool bags behind the counter in the shop. YoYo, handled by Stuart Phillips of B.W.Y Canine, also checked the rest of the shop and vehicles.

Cllr Karen Rowland, Reading Council's lead member for environmental services and community safety, said, “This is a very positive result, with thanks to the council, partner agencies – and last, but not least, Yoyo - to tackle organised criminal activity in Reading and keep our residents safe.

“Detection dogs are highly skilled and can find tobacco and cigarettes hidden in the most unlikely of places. Offenders need to know that they can very likely face some quite significant consequences if they choose to deal in these illegal products.

“Results such as this send a strong message to traders to simply not choose to stock such illegal products. Far from being a victimless crime, those involved in the illegal tobacco trade are compliant in making it more attractive for children to start smoking, and taking advantage of cash-strapped families, all of which often feeds in to the funding of organised crime.”

The counterfeit cigarettes will be destroyed. Illegal tobacco products are cigarettes or hand rolling tobacco that have been smuggled, bootlegged or are fake.

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PayPoint and Fuel Bank Foundation are working together to deliver fuel vouchers to support those most in need.

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Fuel Bank Foundation has supported more than 1.9 million people since launching in 2015. With energy costs showing no signs of coming down and following the Government announcement last year that only those claiming pension credit or other means-tested benefits will receive the Winter Fuel Payment, the charity anticipates that demand for support this year will be greater than ever.

Whilst the fuel voucher addresses the immediate need of keeping the lights and heating on, Fuel Bank Foundation also provide person-centred advice that empowers the people they support to address the issues that are making things difficult for them.

“Over the next few months, we estimate that more than a quarter of a million people will turn to Fuel Bank Foundation for emergency help because they can’t afford to top-up their energy meter or fill their heating oil tank, coal bunker or log store," said Matthew Cole, CEO of Fuel Bank Foundation. "Sadly, many of them will be young families with children at home or vulnerable.

“Without our help, they will be forced to live in cold, damp homes, with no energy for heating, lighting, cooking or cleaning. Living in a cold home can have a devastating impact on the physical health and mental wellbeing of both the young and old. Many children, for example, are forced to go to school tired, hungry and in dirty uniforms, and are condemned to a lifetime of poverty.

“There are around six million households in the UK in fuel poverty. It’s sorrowful to think that so many people face disconnection simply because they cannot afford energy. The consequences are profound: children unable to bathe in warm water, parents skipping meals to pay for energy, and elderly people living in homes that exacerbate health conditions. That is why it is so important that we get help to people as quickly and as easily as possible.”

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“Through our extensive network, we're ensuring that energy support is accessible when and where it's needed most. This reinforces our commitment to ensuring retailers serve as a vital support pillar for communities across the UK, whilst also offering additional sources of revenue generation for our store owners.”

"With over 30,000 locations across the UK, more than 99 per cent of Brits live within one mile of a PayPoint retailer partner. The stores offer convenience and flexibility for consumers, including those topping up energy meters, thanks to their accessibility and early-until-late opening hours. This is particularly important for households on prepayment meters during the colder months, as they need to top up meters outside of standard working hours.

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