COUNTERFEIT cigarettes and tobacco with an estimated street value of £7,000 were seized during raids on stores in Redditch today (Monday).
Officers from Redditch Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) supported officers from Worcestershire Trading Standards during the operation as part of ongoing efforts to tackle serious and organised crime.
They were joined by a dog handler with tobacco search dogs targeting the mini-market on Church Green and two stores in Mount Pleasant.
The team searched the stores to see if they were selling illicit tobacco or vapes on the back of intelligence gathered and information provided showed the shops had not been using the ‘Challenge 25’ policy whereby anyone who looks under 25 should to have their age ID checked.
‘£7,000 haul in mini-market’
At the mini market, around £7,000 of counterfeit cigarettes were found by a search dog concealed inside a metal entry door, along with illegal tobacco behind a CCTV screen and in a kitchen.
A further £500 of illegal vapes and £100 of counterfeit perfumes were also found at a store in Mount Pleasant. All the illicit items were seized by Trading Standards.
At another shop in Mount Pleasant, drugs search dogs found evidence of the presence of tobacco in a concealed area, however the stock had been moved on.
Sgt Dave Roberts, of Redditch SNT, said: “These illegal cigarettes and vapes are destined for the black market – the profits are linked to organised crime groups so taking them off the streets has not only protected the public from these unregulated products but also disrupted a wider network of criminal activity that ultimately impacts our local communities.
“Today’s raids acted on intelligence gathered by Trading Standards around the illicit sales of counterfeit cigarettes, tobacco and illegal vapes in the town, as well as under-age sales.”
The raids formed part of Operation Target which sees the West Mercia Police work closely with other forces and partners to tackle serious and organised crime and the harm it causes.
Search for the hashtag #OpTarget on social media for more on what the police are doing as part of Operation Target.
Anyone with information on stores selling illicit tobacco or vapes should call 101 or visit https://www.westmercia.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ to report it.
