About 25,000 illegal cigarettes, packs of tobacco, and vapes with ‘potentially dangerous chemicals’ were found in a corner shop in Kirkby in Merseyside.
According to local reports, Merseyside Police and Knowsley Council’s Trading Standards team on May 9 raided the Village News corner shop on Glovers Brow in Kirkby. After searching the newsagents they found 25,000 cigarettes, 230 packs of tobacco and 44 vapes.
The significant seizure of tobacco formed part of the Knowsley Policing Team’s day of action, which also saw officers carry out open land searches and letter drops in the community.
Knowsley Community Policing Inspector David Morgan said, “Illicit products such as those we seized on Friday carry the potential to damage public health as the chemicals added to these products aren’t monitored or licensed in any way. They could be exposing consumers to potentially dangerous chemicals, and we are pleased to have helped take them out of circulation.
“I hope our ongoing work with Trading Standards shows the steps we will take to remove any counterfeit goods from our stores and community. Whenever we receive intelligence about illegal goods, we work closely with our partners to investigate and take appropriate action.
A Knowsley Council spokesperson said: “Thanks to vital community intelligence our Crime and Communities and Trading Standards Team have worked with Merseyside Police to take robust action against those involved in the sale of counterfeit goods. These goods haven’t been through stringent tests and as a result are considered to be an unregulated product, falling short of minimum standards of safety and quality, posing serious risks to our communities, so it’s really important that we remove them for sale or consumption.”
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