Illegal tobacco seized in Swindon during joint operation
Illegal tobacco worth more than £81,700 was seized following a national joint operation in Swindon last week.
Published: Thursday, 24th March 2022
Led by Swindon Trading Standards and supported by officers from HMRC, Wiltshire Police and the team at South West Illegal Tobacco, Operation CeCe recovered 108,590 illegal cigarettes and 31.17kg of hand rolling tobacco.
The tobacco was discovered using local intelligence and Wagtails tobacco detection dogs. The haul was found in four separate shops in the town and further searches of vehicles associated with the premises also uncovered a large quantity of tobacco.
Any information leading to the sale and supply of illegal tobacco can be reported, anonymously, to Trading Standards at www.swillegaltobacco.info/report-it
Councillor Cathy Martyn, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Public Safety, said: “Operations like this are hugely important if we want to clamp down on this illegal activity, which is placing the safety of our residents at risk.
“The unscrupulous people who sell illegal tobacco do not care who they sell it to or what the health consequences to those people will be. It also feeds crime in communities and has been linked to human trafficking, drugs and loan sharks.
“I hope this latest operation with our partners sends out a warning that we will not stand for this activity in our town.”
Ben Hayes, Trading Standards Illegal Tobacco Regional Lead, said: “The sale and supply of illegal tobacco funds serious and organised crime in and around your community, and people must think beyond it being a tax issue.
“The availability of cheap illegal tobacco undermines the quit attempts of individuals and creates an unfair advantage to legitimate businesses.
“All tobacco is dangerous, however some illegal cigarettes do not comply with safety laws and fail to extinguish if left unattended. This could increase the risk of a fire at home.
“Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution and report illegal tobacco sales, No Ifs, No Butts.”
Ian Woolston, Assistant Director, Fraud Investigation Service, HM Revenue & Customs, said: “The sale of illegal tobacco will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies. Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clamp down on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £2.3bn a year. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.
“We work closely with the police, trading standards, local authorities and international law enforcement, and have cut by a third the market in illicit cigarettes since 2000 and halved the hand-rolling tobacco market over the same period.
“We encourage anyone with information about the illegal sale of tobacco to report it online or call the Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.”
Stopping smoking is one of the best things an individual can do to improve their health. Smokers can download the free NHS Quit Smoking app to help them quit and start breathing easier.
The app allows people to monitor their progress, see how much they’re saving and to get daily support. Individuals who can make it to 28 days smoke-free, are five times more likely to quit for good!
Swindon residents are able to access a free Stop Smoking service by contacting 01793 465 512 or 07341 077530. Alternatively, send an email to swindon.stopsmoking@nhs.net