A city centre convenience store in Cambridgeshire has been closed down after police found "illicit" items including Viagra tablets, illegal tobacco and more than £14,000 in cash from the premises.
About 683,400 cigarettes, 37.45kg of hand rolling tobacco, and 35 cigars were seized by the police from International Food Centre in Lincoln Road in Peterborough late last year. The closure order was served on the shop and flat above on Dec 31following an application to Huntingdon Magistrates' Court.
Officers carrying out the warrant in November also found £14,886 in cash, large sums of foreign currency and Viagra tablets.
A man in his 30s was arrested on suspicion of tax evasion and money laundering and released on bail until February.
The following week, a man in his 40s was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply sildenafil and has also been released on bail until February.
It was found during the investigation that the shop's licence was transferred to several different holders in recent years.
In April 2022 the premises' licence and designated premises supervisor were transferred to the current licence holder.
PC James Rice, of Cambridgeshire Constabulary, said it applied for the closure order due to "persistent issues in the store around things such as the sale of age restricted products and other illicit items and non-duty paid products".
"Circumstances such as these are often a front for organised criminality and anti-social behaviour, which has detrimental effects in our communities.
"We hope this latest action shows the community that we are committed to tackling organised crime and will continue to police this robustly through regular compliance checks and enforcement of the order."
Elsewhere in Kent, four men has been arrested in connection with the sale of illegal tobacco and vape products have since been released on bail, pending further inquiries.
In total, officers seized 858 packets of cigarettes, more than six kilograms of rolling tobacco, 201 illegal vaping products and £2,560 in cash from shops in Lower Stone Street, Gabriel’s Hill, and the High Street in Kent.
Officers ask that anyone who becomes aware of stores selling cigarettes illegally to contact them, and they would also like to hear from genuine shop-owners who believe their businesses have suffered because of illegal cigarette sales nearby.
