MORE than 10,000 illicit cigarettes and 2000g of illicit hand rolling tobacco has been seized from retail premises in Warrington during a joint operation to crack down on counterfeit goods.
The goods were seized as part of Operation Portfolio between Warrington Borough Council Trading Standards, Cheshire Police, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and Immigration Service.
Trading Standards and Cheshire Police seized 6,660 illicit cigarettes and 1,400g of alleged counterfeit hand rolling tobacco from two premises. Trading Standards enquiries are ongoing into these seizures.
HMRC officers seized 3,620 suspected illicit cigarettes, 600g of hand rolling tobacco, and a small quantity of suspicious vodka from two premises. The UK tax and duty evasion on these goods is over £1,000. The cigarettes were mixed non-UK brands such as Pect, Regina, Omega, Mayfair, NZ Black and President. HMRC enquiries are ongoing in to these seizures and the associated tax evasion.
Four retail premises were visited last Wednesday (March 4) in the multi-agency operation to tackle organised crime in response to intelligence regarding the sale of illicit tobacco.
Warrington Borough Council’s assistant director of public protection, Peter Astley, (pictured) said: “This has been a strong, successful partnership operation with all agencies involved committed to tackling alleged criminality and getting these products off our streets and I am very pleased with the results. Those involved in dealing in illegal tobacco may be encouraging people, including children, to smoke by providing a cheap source; hence it is very important that we take these products off the streets.
“The detection dogs can find tobacco and cigarettes even if hidden in the most unlikely places. Offenders need to know that they will face consequences if they choose to deal in these illegal products. I am confident we will continue to work with our partners to crackdown on these sellers and bring them to justice.”
Richard Spedding, Warrington Partnership Inspector, Cheshire Police, said: “The Operation carried out on Wednesday is a clear demonstration of how partnership action can tackle issues more effectively than when we work as single agencies. By using our skills and powers together we have been able to use local intelligence to target the sale of illegal goods in the area.
“The Operation was planned by the Warrington Community Safety Team and I would like to thank all the agencies involved for their hard work in ensuring that things ran smoothly and successfully. I am sure that we will continue to take coordinated action to ensure that organized criminality can be tackled for the benefit of the wider community.”
Sandra Smith, Assistant Director, Criminal Investigation, HMRC, said: “The sale of illegal tobacco and alcohol will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies. Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £2 billion a year, and the sale of illicit alcohol which costs the UK around £1 billion per year. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.”
