The scale of the UK’s illicit tobacco trade is becoming increasingly brazen, with fresh enforcement action revealing not only widespread counterfeit sales but also repeat offenders openly defying court orders in a bid to keep profits flowing.
Hundreds of packets of counterfeit cigarettes and more than 70 pouches of hand rolling tobacco were found at two shops in Lancaster and Morecambe earlier in the month.
Lancashire Police officers and colleagues from Lancashire County Council’s Trading Standards and the Home Office took part in a multi-agency operation on Friday 13th March.
The operation targeted trading standards and immigration offences, with several shops and business premises visited throughout the day.
A shop in Lancaster city centre was visited by Trading Standards, with a test purchase of illicit cigarettes made – a packet of counterfeit cigarettes was handed over by a member of the shop’s staff.
That led to the premises being searched, with 162 packets of cigarettes and 39 pouches of hand rolling tobacco found in a storeroom.
A closure order will now be sought for the shop, with this being the second such seizure after a similar visit five days earlier.
During a visit to a shop in Morecambe, 209 packets of illicit cigarettes and 33 pouches of hand rolling tobacco was found, together with counterfeit Viagra, 51 counterfeit Pop Mart Labubu dolls and seven counterfeit Labubu keyrings.
There were five arrests – two men and three women - made at three business premises under the Immigration Act for working illegally.
Meanwhile in Kent, a shop in Margate has been served with a temporary closure notice following joint work from Trading Standards, officers from Margate’s Community Safety Unit and Thanet District Council’s Community Team.
Maman House on Northdown Road was first visited in November 2025 and a large quantity of illegal tobacco products was discovered. Due to the amount that was discovered, it is estimated that the cash only business was making around £4,000 to £5,000 a week from the illegal products.
Despite receiving official warnings from Kent Police, the business owner continued to breach the conditions imposed.
The case was brought before Margate Magistrates’ Court on 15 January 2026, where a judge granted a two‑month closure order. This prohibited the business owner from entering the premises and required all trading to cease.
However, during the period of closure, the owner was stopped twice in one week by police. Searches of his vehicle and person uncovered further illicit tobacco and cash on both occasions. Officers believe he had begun delivering illegal goods by car in an attempt to defy the closure order.
On Monday 16 March, the case returned to Margate Magistrates’ Court following evidence of continued trading. A judge subsequently imposed a further three‑month closure order, which will remain in place until 16 June 2026.
Police Constable Glenn Castle said: ‘Legitimate businesses in Margate lose trade to establishments like this, and the risks associated with consuming this illegal tobacco are very serious. 'We will continue working with partners such as Trading Standards to take action against illegal businesses, and protect our communities.’
James Whiddett, Operations Manager for Kent Trading Standards said, ‘By working together with Kent Police and the local Community Safety Unit, we can focus our resources to protect Kent residents and remove illegal product from sale. 'We will continue to support partnership work like this as it enables us to tackle crime on our local high streets.’