Illegal tobacco and vapes with an estimated street value of £650,000 seized have been seized during a multi-agency operation in Medway.
As informed by Medway Council on Tuesday (Feb 17), the operation was led by Trading Standards and Public Protection Officers which saw the seizure of 1,469,640 cigarettes, 148.5kilograms of hand rolling tobacco and 1,130 illegal vapes.
Over two days last week, council officers coordinated a multi-agency operation involving a specialist sniffer dog team and Kent Police to investigate the sale of illegal tobacco. As part of this operation, information led officers to a range of shops and a self-storage premises.
Upon arriving at the self-storage site, illegal tobacco with an estimated value of £600,000 was found stashed across five storage lockers. Evidence revealed that some of the illegal tobacco was being smuggled into the country hidden inside deep-fat fryer units.
The tobacco and vapes were seized as part of the operation, and those responsible are now facing potential criminal offences and civil penalties.
Cllr Alex Paterson, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder covering Enforcement, said: “I want to pay tribute to our Trading Standards officers for leading this work, and of course to the partners involved too. This is an example which will catch people’s attention, but they are out there every day working tirelessly to protect residents.
“When tobacco is smuggled into the country, it means no duty or tax has been paid – that is tax which funds public services we all rely on. Illegal tobacco is also often used to fund organised crime gangs.
"This seizure sends a message loud and clear that we will not tolerate illegal trading in Medway, and we will take firm and decisive action to tackle those who are undermining legitimate hard-working businesses.”
Inspector Allen Searle, from Medway’s Community Safety Unit, said: “This joint operation with Trading Standards is part of our ongoing work to disrupt the illegal tobacco trade, which is often linked to wider criminality.
“We will continue to work closely with our partners to identify those involved and take robust action to ensure these offences are stamped out in our communities.”