Operation CeCe leads to haul of millions of illegal tobacco products from retail premises

More than five million illegal cigarettes have been seized from local retail outlets in the first six months of the year as part of Operation CeCe, a joint initiative between National Trading Standards (NTS) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to tackle the illegal tobacco trade.

The haul of illicit products also includes more than 1,700kg of hand rolled tobacco and 66kg of shisha. In total, more than £2.7 million worth of illegal tobacco products have been taken off streets across England and Wales since the operation launched in January 2021.

“This operation marks the first collaboration between National Trading Standards and HMRC, and I am delighted that the first six months have been hugely successful in removing a significant amount of illegal tobacco products off our streets and disrupting this illicit trade,” Wendy Martin, Director, National Trading Standards, said.

Operation CeCe is part of a wider government strategy to disrupt every aspect of the illegal tobacco market, from front-line retailers to global organised crime groups who drive the illicit trade, smuggling tobacco internationally on a grand scale.

Simon York, Director of Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “Operation CeCe shows our determination to tackle the menace of illicit tobacco. This is a trade that costs the UK taxpayer around £2.3 billion a year, undermining our vital public services and bankrolling a host of other crimes that harm communities, including guns, drugs and human trafficking.

“Those involved readily undercut legitimate businesses and don’t care who they sell to, including children. HMRC and Trading Standards are determined to stamp out the illicit tobacco trade, as these results clearly show.”

In London, Operation CeCe has seen almost 300,000 illegal cigarettes and 90kg of hand rolling tobacco seized in recent months.

In the last four months officers have confiscated tobacco products with a market value of £226,800 – a street value of £108,000.

“We had a great success with a recent seizure in Croydon, which saw 175,000 cigarettes confiscated with a market value of £105,000 and a street value of £65,625. Officers also seized hand rolling tobacco with a market value of £1,794 and street value of £690,” Cenred Elworthy, London Trading Standards manager, said.

Operation CeCe focuses local disruption activity including the seizure of products at local retail premises, working closely with tobacco detection dog teams and test purchasers to target those who supply these products.

In the most recent raid Barking and Dagenham Council’s Trading Standards team seized more than 12,000 illicit cigarettes from six businesses.

During the operation on 8 October, officers recovered Eastern European tobacco from three shops following intelligence and test purchasing. All of the cigarettes seized were duty avoided, not in plain packaging and not labelled with statutory health warnings.

Councillor Margaret Mullane, cabinet member for enforcement and community safety who joined in the operation, said: “Operations like these not only ensure that businesses in the borough are operating on the right side of the law, but also protect the health of our residents.

“The operation was a huge success with thousands of illegal cigarettes taken off our streets. I would like to thank all officers involved.”

The operation was supported by BWY Canine, who provided six specialist sniffer dogs to help locate the illegal cigarettes and tobacco.

The three guilty premises were cautioned and questioned during the raid and will now face further investigation.

Operation CeCe runs for a period of 15 months across England and Wales.