LONDON: Nearly 40,000 illegal cigarettes hidden in ceilings, fridges and even toilets have been seized from shops around Warwickshire during two days of raids.
The counterfeit and non-duty paid cigarettes being sold for £3 a pack in stores in Atherstone, Nuneaton, Rugby and Leamington by police and trading standards.
Officers also discovered 6.8 kg of suspected illegal hand rolling tobacco and bottles of potentially counterfeit vodka.
Warwickshire Police, immigration officers and trading standards officers carried out the raids in support of national No Smoking Day.
Authorities hope that by removing pocket money priced tobacco from stores they will reduce smoking in future generations, as most people who smoke take up the habit as children or teenagers.
Acting on intelligence, officers used trained sniffer dogs to find hidden tobacco in targeted mini-marts and corner shops on March 10 and March 11.
On March 10, officers visited five stores in Rugby, seizing over 18,000 cigarettes and 2.8kg of rolling tobacco from two of them.
On the same day in Leamington Spa, officers visited one store and seized 3990 cigarettes and 2.3kg of rolling tobacco.
On March 11, one store was visited in Atherstone. Here officers confiscated 12,880 cigarettes and 1.725kg rolling tobacco.
Finally officers visited three stores in Nuneaton but only made seizures in two of them.
Around 3040 cigarettes and three bottles of potentially counterfeit vodka were seized.
Shop owners whose stores are found to be selling illegal cigarettes face prosecution, as well as the loss of their alcohol licence and National Lottery terminal.
Anyone found guilty of supplying counterfeit tobacco could face up to ten years in jail and an unlimited fine.
None of the stores are being named by trading standards until they face prosecution.
Coun John Horner, Warwickshire County Council’s lead for community safety, said: “Warwickshire Trading standards will continue to carry out these enforcement exercises to support legitimate retailers and taxpayers and help protect the health of children and young people who are often tempted by cheap illegal tobacco.”
Pc Justin Rai, from Warwickshire Police, said: “This was a good result as counterfeit tobacco is often smuggled and distributed by organised crime groups.
“This is an important seizure of a significant scale for the local areas. I thank the community for their vital intelligence and ongoing support.”
