Posted on Wednesday 12th March 2025
Cllr Victoria Wilson
Illegal Cigarettes, tobacco and vapes are amongst items seized at shops in Cannock and Hednesford by Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards service.
The items, worth an estimated £15,500, were seized from 3 shops on 6 March.
Working with Staffordshire Police and immigration teams, Trading Standards officers and specialist search dogs made the discoveries following reports about the illicit goods from the public. 19,460 cigarettes, 194 vapes and 10.25 kg of hand rolling tobacco were seized. In one shop, the dogs detected items hidden in a concealment hidden behind a storage heater and a concealment built within a table.
The raids were part of Operation Joseph and Operation CeCe, both national initiatives to crack down on the illegal import and sale of tobacco and vape products.
Victoria Wilson, Cabinet Member responsible for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“Our officers continue to tackle the sale of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes, and it’s great to see another successful result.
“The supply of these illegal goods is closely linked to organised crime and helps fund their operations. The items can also be dangerous to people’s health and affect legitimate traders, so it’s good to get them off the streets.”
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 46 million illegal cigarettes, 12,600kg of hand rolling tobacco and almost 175kg of shisha products from sale, Operation CeCe, the National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC, continues to successfully disrupt this illicit trade.”
Since the start of Operation CeCe in 2021 and Joseph in 2022, Trading Standards officers in Staffordshire have removed over 1.5 million cigarettes from sale, over 32,000 vapes and over 320 kg of hand rolling tobacco. The seizures have a total retail value of around £1.3 million.
People can report the sale of illicit, illegal or counterfeit goods on the Trading Standards webpage or the confidential helpline on 01785330356.