Trading Standards officers from Staffordshire County Council have seized illegal vapes, illicit tobacco and cigarettes during raids in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Officers supported by Staffordshire Police and specialist search dogs made the discovery during raids at three premises on Monday 23 February. Items with an estimated retail value of £14,000 were seized including 12,260 illicit Cigarettes, 26.2kg of illicit Tobacco and 19 illegal vapes.
The shops are now under investigation, may face prosecution and, in some areas, could be forced to close.
Anthony Screen, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience at Staffordshire County Council, said:
We will not tolerate the sale of illegal tobacco and vapes in our communities and this is another successful operation in our battle against the trade.
These products not only undermine legitimate businesses but pose serious health risks, especially to young people. Our enforcement teams are actively cracking down on rogue traders, and anyone caught selling these items will face the full force of the law, including prosecution and closure.
The sale of illicit tobacco and vapes is not a victimless crime. It fuels organised criminal networks and undermines the safety of our streets. Every illegal product taken off the shelves is a blow to those who profit from exploiting the public.”
The raids are part of Operation Cece, which is a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC to tackle illegal tobacco.
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair of National Trading Standards, said:
The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law.
Having removed 19 million illegal cigarettes and 5,103kg of hand rolling tobacco in 2023-24, Operation CeCe (a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC) has taken £27.2 million worth of illicit tobacco off the market since the operation launched in 2021 and continues to successfully disrupt this illicit trade.”
In the last twelve months in Staffordshire, more than 377,000 cigarettes, 131 kg of tobacco and 18,000 illegal vapes have been seized.
People can report the sale of illicit, illegal or counterfeit goods to Trading Standards on their confidential helpline on 01785 330356 or on the Trading Standards webpage.
