Lincolnshire operation seizes ‘biggest retail haul’ of illicit cigarettes and vapes yet

More than 90,000 cigarettes, 300 vapes and 10kg of tobacco have been seized from seven stores in Lincolnshire as part of a crackdown on illegal goods.

Described as the “biggest retail haul the county has ever made”, Lincolnshire Police said over 40,000 of the illicit cigarettes were found concealed within one single store - Nida, Winsover Road, Spalding.

Operation Nivada took place on Tuesday and Wednesday this week (18 and 19 February) in collaboration with Lincolnshire County Council Trading Standards.

Hides were discovered in seven stores that were raided in Boston, Spalding and Holbeach:

• American Vape, West Street, Boston
• Boston Shop, West Street, Boston
• The Vape Centre, West Street, Boston
• Boston Food Market, Red Lion Street, Boston
• Bode, High Street, Boston
• Nida, Winsover Road, Spalding
• Max’s Mini Market, Winsover, Road, Spalding

During the raids in Boston, authorities uncovered the “largest capacity illegal vapes” they had seen to date. Each of these ‘super vapes’ contains the nicotine equivalent of 375 average king-size cigarettes, the police said. 

The operation has resulted in one arrest and the collection of important intelligence that may provide insights into the “significant figures higher up the chain”.

Trading Standards said these premises “exist soley for the purpose of selling illegal cigarettes and vapes”. It is conducting seperate investigations and applying for closure orders on all premises found to be selling illegal goods. 

Inspector Ian Cotton said these shops selling illicit and counterfeit goods can expect to be closed: “This trade permeates so many areas of risk – public health, crime and ASB in shop localities, tax evasion, illegal working, and illegal entry to the UK. We will continue to do as much as we can to disrupt these criminals.”