Almost 10,000 counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes and other tobacco and nicotine-based products have been seized following a series of visits to retail premises by Oxfordshire County Council’s trading standards team.
As reported by the council, the raids, carried out on Jan 21, were part of Operation CeCe, a national initiative to tackle the sale and supply of illegal tobacco products.
Officers were accompanied by specialist tobacco detection dogs, which can sniff out contraband in concealments within till points or hidden in storerooms.
Premises involved included off-licences, convenience stores, food retailers and barbers in Banbury, Kidlington and Oxford, the council stated.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 9,340 illegal cigarettes, 700g of counterfeit hand rolling tobacco, 180 unit packs of non-compliant nicotine pouches and 42 disposable electronic cigarettes, or vapes, with a capacity of nicotine containing liquid nine times the maximum allowed.
The total street value of the haul was approximately £5,000.
Councillor Dr Nathan Ley, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health, Inequalities and Community Safety: “Our trading standards team, working in partnership with other agencies, will continue to crack down on the sale of these illegal products and cause the maximum disruption possible to criminal networks.
“People can help us to stamp out illegal tobacco and create a healthier and safer county by being vigilant and reporting any suspicious activity using the illegal tobacco hotline.”
Other issues detected were:
- Two premises in breach of their licensing conditions.
- One premises with a concealment operated by electromagnets, although no illegal product was contained within it.
- Four premises with tobacco products on open display, whereas they must be out of sight of customers.
- Two premises with evidence of staff sleeping or living in storerooms, which was referred to other agencies.
Investigations are ongoing, with premises facing potential criminal prosecution, licence reviews and additional sanctions, including financial penalties.
Elsewhere in Clifton, City of York Council and police officers visited a business last week, where nearly £5,000 of noncompliant vapes and illicit tobacco was found and seized.
The illegal items found and taken have an estimated retail value of £4,941.25, including 177 noncompliant vapes with a retail value of £2,124, 2,250 counterfeit and illicit cigarettes valued at £731 an d1,450g of counterfeit and illicit hand rolling tobacco valued at £2,086.
Cllr Jenny Kent, Executive Member with portfolio for Trading Standards at City of York Council, said, "Tobacco kills hundreds of people in York every year, and the illicit market in tobacco and vapes makes harmful products cheaper and more easily available, especially to those below the legal age limit.
“Illicit vapes are becoming much more prevalent and are partly responsible for the rise in young people vaping – our public health advice is that while we support e-cigarettes as effective quit aids for adults to stop smoking, people who don’t smoke shouldn’t vape."
“This is why it is so important that you report concerns. Information from members of the public, investigation, and action by Council and police officers is essential to protect public health and enforce proper regulations.”
