£21k of illegal cigarettes and vapes seized during joint operation

Illegal tobacco, vapes and cigarettes worth an estimated £21k have been seized from shops across Warrington.

Yesterday, Warrington Neighbourhood Team and the Force Intelligence Bureau with Warrington Trading Standards and Home Office Immigration, targeted stores linked to the sale of illegal tobacco, vapes and cigarettes and immigration crime.

As part of the operation officers conducted visits to four premises across the town. These included stores on Sankey Street, Buttermarket Street, and Winwick Street.
A large quantity of illicit and illegal products was seized during the operation, including illegal cigarettes, loose tobacco and illegal vapes.
Many of the items had been hidden in sophisticated concealments, which were out of sight within the shops. However, the products were quickly located and seized by officers.
In total officers recovered 9,300 illicit cigarettes, 13kg of illicit tobacco, and 28 illegal vapes, which if legitimate would have had an estimated value of £21k.

Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said: “The illicit tobacco trade is driven by organised criminal gangs and poses serious risks to local communities, especially young people.
“Since its launch in January 2021, Operation CeCe – a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC – has removed 69 million illegal cigarettes, 19,750kg of hand-rolling tobacco and almost 175kg of shisha products from sale, helping to clamp down on this illicit trade and protect communities and honest businesses across the UK.”
Cllr John Kerr-Brown, Warrington Borough Council cabinet member for housing services and licensing, said: “This operation sends a clear message that illegal tobacco and vaping products have no place in Warrington. These items are not only harmful to health but also undermine legitimate businesses.
“Working alongside our partners, we will continue to focus on tackling those supplying illicit products across the town. I would urge anyone with concerns about illegal sales to report them – your information is vital in helping us keep our communities safe.”

Inspector Lee Connor, of Warrington Neighbourhood Policing Unit, said: “We and our community partners work very hard to tackle those attempting to sell illicit products in Warrington and while the vast majority of businesses across the borough are operating within the law, unfortunately there are some who feel it’s acceptable to break the law, as we have seen at the premises we’ve visited yesterday.
“However, there really is nowhere to hide when it comes to distributing products that are illegal for a reason and today’s results are the product of the excellent work of our officers and partners who are committed to bringing organised criminals, as well as those who exploit the most vulnerable people in our society, to justice.
“With that in mind, we cannot take action like this without your support. Information submitted to us from members of the public is vital to our investigations, so I would encourage anyone with any information or concerns about illegal activity in their area to get in touch.”