Kent Trading Standards, Kent Police, Immigration and BWY Canine Ltd conducted a day of activity in the Dartford and Swanley areas last Wednesday (22 March) focusing on the supply of illegal tobacco and vapes on the high street.
Teams of officers, supported by sniffer dogs Cooper, Bran and Griff, inspected a number of shops across the two districts and removed a total of 32,306 illegal cigarettes, 7kg of illegal hand rolling tobacco and 860 illegal vapes.
Trading Standards operations manager James Whiddett said: “The joint work of all the agencies involved has helped to remove illegal products from shops in Kent.
“These items are illegal. Consumers may not realise that purchasing these items supports and brings crime into our communities that undermines legitimate local businesses who follow the rules and supply legal products. As well as posing health risks, illegal cigarettes and tobacco are more affordable for young people and those trying to quit the smoking habit.
“Illegal vapes or e-cigarettes will not have undergone any of the necessary checks and will carry a risk of containing potentially harmful banned ingredients.”
Lord Michael Bichard, chair, National Trading Standards, said: “The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law. Having removed 21 million illegal cigarettes, 5,800kg of hand rolling tobacco and almost 175kg of shisha products from sale, the National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC (Operation Cece, which launched in January 2021) continues to successfully disrupt this illicit trade.”
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