Hundreds of thousands of illegal cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco and vapes with a retail value totalling more than £255,000 have been seized in two raids in Derbyshire.
In the last two weeks, one operation seized more than 363,000 cigarettes (18,150 packets) and 20kg (400 packs) of hand-rolling tobacco from a premises in South Derbyshire.
The seizure marked one of the biggest for the team in recent years, equating to an illegal market value of £115,000 and a high street value of approximately £250,000.
It closely followed the first raid which saw the trading standards team and Derbyshire Police seize more than 1,000 illegal cigarettes, 1.25kg of illegal hand-rolling tobacco and more than 280 vapes from a premises in Erewash, with an approximate value of around £6,000.
The council said ongoing investigations for both operations could lead to prosecutions.
Executive Director for Place Chris Henning highlighted that the supply of illegal products will not be tolerated in Derbyshire and action will be taken against those who continually flout the law: “We are continually working across the county to tackle the supply of illegal tobacco and vapes, acting on information from many different sources, including from members of the public, partner agencies and other enforcement bodies.
“While compliant vapes are substantially less harmful than smoking, illegal ones can pose health risks as the nicotine content can be far higher than is allowed. It is also acknowledged that the selling of cheap illegal tobacco can undermine efforts to help people stop smoking and can be a cheap source for children to start smoking.
“Any sale of illegal products also undermines legitimate traders who are trying to make a living and takes vital revenue away from our public services.”
Anyone with information about the sale of illegal tobacco or illegal vapes should call the Citizens Advice Consumer Service tel: 0808 223 1133 or Crimestoppers tel: 0800 555111.
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