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£12,000-worth of illegal tobacco seized from van, as retailers change tactics to conceal tobacco stashes (14 March 2017)

Date: 14/03/2017
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, £12,000-worth of illegal tobacco seized from van, as retailers change tactics to conceal tobacco stashes

Trading Standards officers in Newcastle upon Tyne have seized illegal tobacco products worth more than £12,000 from a vehicle parked yards from a shop Trading Standards had searched the previous day.

The haul of 12,000 cigarettes includes 3kg of hand-rolled tobacco, which was showing signs of mould. More than 30 brands were seized – one of the most diverse hauls ever recovered, says the council – including Rothmans, Marlboro, Benson and Hedges and new brands Regina and Hilton Lilac.

Trading Standards says that it is believed shopkeepers who sell illegal tobacco are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods to avoid detection – but officers are aware of this and adapting their tactics.

Cabinet Member for Regulation, Councillor Nick Kemp, said:

“I’d like to congratulate our officers for seizing this sizeable haul of illegal tobacco.

“We are aware that some shopkeepers who sell illegal tobacco are no longer stocking it on their premises to avoid detection when we call – they are storing them in vehicles not far from their premises and taking out small amounts when customers call.

“We are aware of this and adapting our tactics accordingly. We will not hesitate to prosecute shop owners who sell illegal tobacco – all tobacco is harmful to public health, but this kind is particularly pernicious, as it’s more likely to be sold to children and hits legitimate businesses who pay duty on tobacco.”


The council says this is the latest in a series of seizures of illegal tobacco from shops in Newcastle so far this year.

Previous hauls include 60,000 cigarettes from Eastern Europe and 5,000 cigarettes from a shop and Chinese restaurant – five packs of Shisha tobacco were also recovered in the most recent operation. All the tobacco will eventually be destroyed by shredding, said the council.

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