WATCH: A total of £400,000 worth of illicit tobacco has been seized and four premises closed in Warrington, thanks to a multi-agency day of action in the town this week.
Operation Azelea – a proactive force-wide operation working with partner agencies – targets the sale of illicit vapes, tobacco and cigarettes, as well as those committing immigration offences through the exploitation of vulnerable people.
A day of action took place on Wednesday, 7 January 2026 and included more than 40 officers from Warrington Beat, Proactive, and Protecting Vulnerable People Teams, as well as the Foreign National Offender team, Northern Problem Solving Team, Northern Area Investigation Team and the Drone Unit.
The external agencies involved included Warrington Borough Council’s Trading Standards team, HMRC, Immigration and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.
The day of action resulted in:
• 11 retail premises visited in Orford Lane, Marsh House Lane, Lovely Lane, Long Lane, Knutsford Road, Sankey Street, Winwick Street and Norris Street.
• One warrant at a domestic property in Orford Lane.
• Four retail premises were handed closure orders for a period of three months – Lovely King Vape and William Market in Lovely Lane, Bargain Beers/Kings Convenience in Orford Lane and Dubai Mini Mart in Marsh House Lane.
• A total of £400,000 worth of illicit tobacco seized.
• A total of £640 worth of illegal vapes seized.
• One man of Syrian nationality was arrested by Immigration Enforcement for illegal working.
Assistant Chief Constable Carlos Brunes said:“I am incredibly pleased with the results of this operation, with hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of illicit tobacco seized and four premises closed, and I would like to extend my thanks to the officers involved and our partner agencies.
“This partnership working is pivotal in cracking down on those who are intent on selling illicit products, and is something we do day in, day out, to make our communities safer.
“While we know the vast majority of businesses across Warrington, and more widely across Cheshire, comply with laws and regulations, sadly there are those who feel they do not apply to them.
“But let this act as a warning; you cannot hide and we will do everything in our power to ensure Cheshire is a hostile place for those flouting the law.”
Detective Chief Inspector Christian Morris added: “Some people may think that the sale of illicit vapes and cigarettes is a ‘minor issue’ however, it’s important to note that these offences can be the result of a much more serious issue.
“Those involved in such activities often have links to drug trafficking and distribution, organised immigration crime, modern slavery and human trafficking, which is why we regularly carry out operations like this, protecting vulnerable people in our communities and making sure those responsible are held accountable for their actions.”
Inspector Lee Connor, of Warrington LPU, said:
“This day of action highlights how we listen to the feedback that residents and wider communities provide and regularly work together with partners to take action where needed.
“It has resulted in many seizures and four premises being closed, which is a great result. We hope that this reassures members of the public, and we would continue to ask anyone with information about the sale of illicit products to report it so we can work together with other agencies to tackle this issue.”
Cllr John Kerr-Brown, Cabinet Member for Housing Services and Licensing, Warrington Borough Council, said: “We will continue to focus on tackling those supplying illicit products across the town. We’re committed to protecting public health and keeping harmful products off our streets. Multi-agency partnership working is integral to tackling these types of premises and we are grateful to partners for their continued commitment.”
Margaret Mousley, Deputy Director in HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service, said: “Illicit tobacco undermines legitimate retailers, funds wider crime, and deprives our vital public services of around £1.8 billion a year.
“We will continue to work with partners like Cheshire Constabulary to tackle the illicit trade and urge anyone with information about the smuggling, distribution or sale of illicit tobacco to report it on GOV.UK.”
Maxine Bennetto, of the Home Office’s Immigration Enforcement team, said: “This operation is a great example of partnership working to tackle a range of criminality across Warrington.
“Illegal working undermines our immigration rules, undercuts honest businesses and often leads to the exploitation of vulnerable people. That’s why we have surged enforcement activity to the highest levels in British history, and our teams will continue to work around the clock to ensure there’s no hiding place from the law.”
