Illicit cigarettes and tobacco worth over £400,000 seized in Northumberland

A substantial quantity of illicit tobacco and cigarettes have been seized by Northumberland County Council’s Trading Standards officers from a location in southeast Northumberland.

Following intelligence, Trading Standards officers attended a business location where they discovered and seized 8,875 pouches of illicit Turner tobacco along with 76,000 illicit cigarettes with a potential retail value of over £400,000.

A criminal investigation into the suppliers of the tobacco and cigarettes is now underway.

“This illicit tobacco and cigarettes were destined to be sold across Northumberland. A seizure of this size will make a huge impact on the organised crime gangs who were set to profit from it and will significantly disrupt the illicit tobacco supply chain across our region,” Cllr Gordon Stewart, cabinet member with responsibility for Looking after our Communities at the council, said.

“I hope this sends out a strong and clear message, that we will not tolerate this criminal activity and there is no hiding place.”