Illegal cigarettes and vapes worth thousands of pounds have been seized after shops were raided by authorities in Stoke-on-Trent.
According to local reports, Trading Standards officers from the city council and Staffordshire County Council have recovered 25,000 cigarettes, 2,350 vapes and 7.5kg of tobacco from five stores on Wednesday (10).
The cigarettes and tobacco had a retail value of about £20,000, while the vapes were worth £30,000, Stoke-on-Trent City Council said. The authority added that four of the shops would be issued with 48-hour closure notices and criminal investigations were under way.
The raids came after test purchases were carried out over the last few months that showed counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco were being sold. Officers were also able to buy vapes that had incorrect labels and tanks greater than the maximum permitted size, a city council spokesperson said.
This new evidence will be used to issue four of the premises with a 48-hour closure notice. Four criminal investigations have begun and one person was arrested for immigration offences.
Councillor Amjid Wazir, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability, said: “This was a successful joint operation and I’d like to thank everyone who was involved.
“It was carefully planned and followed months of work to gather evidence to get to this stage.
“Illegal tobacco and vape sales affect the trade of legitimate businesses in our city and put consumers in danger. It won’t be tolerated. When we have the evidence, we will always take action against businesses who sell illegal goods in Stoke-on-Trent.”
Chief Inspector Rob Peacock, from Staffordshire Police’s Stoke-on-Trent city command team, said: “Operations like this prove that by working closely with partner agencies we can effectively prevent the distribution of illegal products, such as cigarettes, tobacco and vapes.
“Today’s action sends out a clear message that this type of activity will not be tolerated here in Staffordshire. We will continue to carry out joint exercises like this to target and take action against those intent on causing harm to our communities through the illegal sale of such products.”
Victoria Wilson, cabinet member responsible for trading standards at Staffordshire County Council, said: “Our officers continue to tackle the sale of illegal and illicit goods and we were pleased to be able to support our colleagues in Stoke-on-Trent in this successful operation.
“The trade in illicit tobacco and vapes is closely linked to organised crime and is harmful to our health, particularly young people’s health. Removing these from the streets is a real result. Not only does the trade put money in criminals’ pockets but it also harms our local communities and legitimate businesses. We will do all we can to ensure that we support legitimate businesses and take strong action against anyone who sells these dangerous illegal products.”
Simon Hannah
