Bradford named as one of the worst places in the UK for illicit tobacco sales

Recent undercover test purchasing conducted by Japan Tobacco International (JTI) in Bradford has shone a light on the scale of illicit tobacco and vape sales in the area.

Operatives carried out 50 test purchases across Bradford in October last year, with all stores in the test found selling counterfeit and contraband tobacco products, as well as disposable vapes whose puff count was well above the 2ml limit.

A trap door was even used in one shop to keep the illegal products hidden. In another, illegal tobacco was stored in the boot of a car outside and only retrieved when a customer asked to purchase. Counterfeit £5 notes were also given as change in two premises.

One of the most common illicit products was a counterfeit 50g pouch of roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco, widely sold for just £3.50. For comparison, the recommended retail price of JTI’s lowest price 50g RYO product is £31.25.

The cheapest ready-made cigarettes were available from as little as £3, while a number of illegal vapes were also easily obtainable, with puff rates as high as 15,000, available for £15.

All evidence and information gathered will be made available to Trading Standards in anticipation that it will support their efforts to enforce and prosecute anyone found to be selling illegal products.

Ian Howell, public affairs manager at JTI UK, said: “Our operation in Bradford found it to be one of the worst places in the UK for illicit tobacco sales. It’s become all too easy for the residents of Bradford to purchase illicit tobacco or vapes. The scale of the illegal activity here is just a microcosm of the bigger issue across the UK.

“From an honest retailers’ perspective, they’re not only losing out on tobacco sales, they’re also seeing wider basket spend decline with customers visiting illegitimate stores instead.

“On a wider level, UK taxpayers are losing out on millions in taxes from legal tobacco which might otherwise be used to benefit communities, with illicit profits instead filling the pockets of criminals.

“The Government urgently needs to acknowledge this issue and make tackling illicit tobacco a priority, rather than implementing a generational smoking ban that will only exacerbate the black market.”

If you know of a store selling illicit tobacco or vapes, you can report them by calling Trading Standards through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 0808 223 1133, or by contacting HM Revenue & Customs’ Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887, or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.