In a sweeping effort to combat the sale of counterfeit and harmful products, Lincolnshire authorities issued closure orders to 68 shops in the past year.
This decisive action comes as part of a broader campaign to tackle rogue traders and protect public health, with new figures revealing the scale of the illicit trade in the region.
As revealed by Lincolnshire County Council on Monday (17), more than 670,000 illicit cigarettes were removed from Lincolnshire’s streets last year.
The seizure represents a 150 per cent increase compared to the year before. On top of this, the report shows 17,000 illegal vapes were seized in 2024, along with 370kg of hand rolling tobacco.
68 shops selling the counterfeit products were served closure orders last year, sending a strong message to those flouting the law, as Lincolnshire steps up its efforts to ensure a safer, healthier community.
The huge leap in shop closures and seizure of goods is the result of effective joint working and intelligence sharing between Lincolnshire County Council Trading Standards officers, Lincolnshire Police and other partners, stated the council.
The report coincides with the launch of Operation Nivada, a public awareness campaign showing the fight against illegal tobacco and an underworld of associated criminal activity.
Cllr Daniel McNally, executive member for Trading Standards at Lincolnshire County Council, said, “Trading Standards officers and partners protect residents by removing these illegal products and lead the charge against the selfish rogue traders who peddle them.
“Make no mistake - these items are unsafe. Not only can they contain harmful, unregulated substances that damage health, they have also caused fatal house fires in Lincolnshire, and threaten the livelihoods of legitimate, hard-working small business owners.
“There is absolutely no place for these illicit products on Lincolnshire’s streets. The criminals have been put on notice, we will continue to clamp down hard on the unscrupulous individuals who sell them.”
The council’s Trading Standards team deploys a variety of measures against the rogue traders.
Staff conduct regular test purchasing and inspections, work with landlords to remove tenants, secure closure orders on premises and bring criminal cases before the courts.
Meanwhile, a recent test purchasing operation conducted by Japan Tobacco International (JTI) in Nottingham has uncovered the shocking scale of the illicit tobacco and vapes market in the city.
Undercover operatives carried out multiple test purchases across Nottingham in November last year.
Counterfeit and contraband tobacco products were easily obtained from stores, including 50g Roll Your Own (RYO) packets from as little as £5.00, and ready-made cigarettes (RMC) from £4.00. Illegal vapes with puff counts of up to 22,000 were also discovered.
The operation revealed that the typical price for a 50g pack of counterfeit roll your own tobacco (RYO) was £5.00, with the operatives’ most expensive purchase being £7.00. For comparison, the recommended retail price of JTI’s lowest price 50g RYO product is £36.50
Panel discussion at the relaunch of the SAITG on 3 March 2025
