BIRMINGHAM: Illegal cigarettes and alcohol worth nearly £4,500 were seized by trading standards officers in a series of planned raids on seven retail premises across Birmingham.
Teams of officers targeted shops and off licences in east Birmingham using two sniffer dogs, as part of a continued crackdown on the sale of illicit tobacco and alcohol – products which have either been smuggled in, illegally produced or for which no duty has been paid.
Birmingham City Council’s trading standards officers, working with local police teams, made seizures at six premises, where they confiscated 622 packs of cigarettes, 100 pouches (50g) of tobacco, and 6kg of chewing tobacco.
Cigarettes were concealed in cupboards, hidden compartments and bags in an attempt to avoid detection. All products will be destroyed in due course.
Officers also seized 400 cans of beer and 40 bottles of spirits, which were found at unlicensed premises.
The illegal products seized included counterfeit and cheap foreign labelled products that breach consumer protection legislation and are also non-duty paid; these cannot be legally sold in the UK.
The contents of all cigarettes are harmful and contain around 4,000 different chemicals, including 60 known carcinogens.
Children and young smokers are often targeted by people selling illegal cigarettes, making it easier for them to get hooked on smoking – and cheap cigarettes also make it harder for people to stop and remain smoke free.
Birmingham City Council’s Trading Standards Service continues to focus on intelligence-led inspections to stamp out the illegal supply, working with their partners in HMRC and West Midlands Police to focus their activities. It is clear that the intelligence in these cases was accurate as six out of the seven premises were found with illegal products. Investigations will continue and may result in legal action.
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