West Yorkshire illegal cigarette seizure touches 10 million mark

West Yorkshire Trading Standards has by now seized 10 millionth illicit cigarette, out of which 3 million were seized from Bradford.

Trading Standards regularly carries out operations to check if retailers are selling counterfeit cigarettes, and this week an operation in Huddersfield led to the organisation seizing its 10 millionth cigarette.

The seizures come as shop keepers resort to increasingly inventive ways to hide their counterfeit stash – from hydraulic ceiling tiles to hidden chutes.

An operation that took place last week saw illicit tobacco products hidden in vehicles, in a hydraulic ceiling concealment and a wall hide.

As well as the 10 million illicit cigarettes, the programme has also taken more than 3 tonnes of illicit hand rolling tobacco off the streets of West Yorkshire. With more inspections planned in the coming weeks, these figures are set to increase.

In many cases courts are told how regular shoppers were fully aware of stores that sold “cheap” cigarettes – which can be up to half the price of legal cigarettes.

“If all of the seized tobacco products were genuine, based on today’s prices, they would have cost around £8 million. This would have resulted in a loss of duty for the country of more than £4.5 million. With cash strapped local authorities and the cost of living crisis, this could have gone a long way to helping local communities,” West Yorkshire Trading Standards reported on Monday (6).

Linda Davis, Trading Standards Manager, said “What a fantastic achievement, far from being a victimless crime, the illegal trade in tobacco costs government billions each year in lost revenue, makes it easier for children to start smoking, takes advantage of cash-strapped families, and helps fund organised crime.

“Members of the public should recognise the adverse health, economic and social impacts of the illicit trade of tobacco products, including the linkages with human trafficking and a wide range of organised crimes. With continued support from public health and partners, we can achieve a smoke free England by 2030.”

Councillor Pauleen Grahame, Member of the West Yorkshire Joint Services Committee which oversees the work of Trading Standards said that the illegal sale of tobacco in communities enables and encourages young children to buy it cheaply.

“Highlighting the health and financial benefits of quitting tobacco use as well as tackling those that undermine it by supplying cheap and illicit tobacco is a brilliant and proactive way of spreading the message of the harms of cheap and illicit tobacco.”