Raid on Hednesford shop uncovers hundreds of illegal vapes, cigarettes and food items
A raid by Trading Standards officers on a shop in a Staffordshire town helped to uncover hundreds of illegal vapes, cigarettes and food items.
Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
The raid on the shop in Hednesford on September 19 uncovered 533 illegal or oversized vapes, 160 cigarettes and 219 illegal food items including American candy and drinks, with an estimated retail value of £8000.
The action was part of Operation CeCe and Operation Joseph, both national initiatives to tackle the sale of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes respectively.
Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council cabinet member responsible for Trading Standards, said: “Our officers continue to tackle the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes, and it’s great to see yet another successful operation.
“The supply of these illegal goods is closely linked to organised crime and helps fund their operations.
"The items can also be dangerous to people’s health and affect legitimate traders, so it’s good to get them off the streets.
"Anyone with information on the sale of such goods should contact the team, who will investigate the matter.”
Lord Michael Bichard, chair, National Trading Standards, said: “The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law.
“Having removed 19 million illegal cigarettes and 5,103kg of hand rolling tobacco in 2023-24, Operation CeCe (a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC) has taken £27.2 million worth of illicit tobacco off the market since the operation launched in 2021 and continues to successfully disrupt this illicit trade.”
Since the start of Operation CeCe and Joseph, Trading Standards officers in Staffordshire have seized almost 610,000 cigarettes, more than 25,000 vapes and 301 kg of hand rolling tobacco.
The seizures have a total retail value of around £740,000.
People can report the sale of illegal goods online at Trading Standards Report It - Staffordshire County Council or on the confidential helpline on 01785 330356.
