Posted on Monday 2nd September 2024
Vape seizure from the raids
Trading Standards officers at Staffordshire County Council have seized vapes, illicit cigarettes, tobacco and shisha, with a retail value of over £28,000.
Officers made the discoveries during raids at 3 premises in Burton on 21 August.
Over 33,180 cigarettes, 747 vapes, over 4kg of hand rolling tobacco and 15 packs of shisha were seized.
The action was part of Operation CeCe and Operation Joseph, both national initiatives to tackle the sale of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes respectively.
Victoria Wilson, Cabinet Member responsible for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“Our officers continue to tackle the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes, and it’s great to see yet another successful operation.
“Officers worked in conjunction with Staffordshire Police and licensing and immigration Officers, while visiting three premises in Burton. The illegal and illicit goods were found in all premises, with some being hidden in special compartments.
“Anyone with information on the sale of such goods should contact the team, who will investigate the matter.”
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 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.”
Since the start of Operation CeCe and Joseph, Trading Standards officers in Staffordshire have seized almost 610,000 cigarettes, over 25,000 vapes and 301 kg of hand rolling tobacco. The seizures have a total retail value of around £740,000.
People can report the sale of illegal goods to Trading Standards online OR on the confidential helpline on 01785330356.