More raids planned in crack down on illegal cigarettes

Rotherham Borough Council’s Trading Standards department is hoping to focus more on the black market trade.

It follows a successful operation which saw 10,000 illicit cigarettes worth £2,000 uncovered in raids earlier this month. 

Trading Standards manager Ivan Thompson said: “We have intelligence on 21 retail premises, which we suspect to be supplying illicit cigarettes and tobacco.

“This is based on reports to us since last year. It’s a nationwide problem, which we see focused mainly on city areas.

“But we are looking at intelligence we have received because there is an issue with illicit tobacco in Rotherham and we want to carry out more work in this area.”

There have only been two or three operations since 2014 but Mr Thompson said this would increase with more information from the public. 

And tobacco search dogs will be involved in future work because of the sophisticated nature of set-ups in some shops to hide illegal tobacco.

Mr Thompson said: “As well as false walls, we have seen counters which had been adapted with a sliding door mechanism. They had put false screw heads on the top to make it look like it was sealed shut.

“This is an example of the considerable effort people will go to in concealing illegal tobacco products.”

Shopkeepers who follow the rules - selling only UK-duty paid tobacco products - told last week’s Advertiser how they lose trade to the black market.

Fake brands - known as “illicit whites” - cost a fraction of the retail price but have been shown to contain asbestos, dead insects and animal droppings.

“HM Revenue and Customs lead on the efforts against illegal tobacco, as their main interest is in the duty lost because of this trade,” said Mr Thompson. 

“Our interest lies in the fact that the cheap whites do not comply with safety regulations.

“And our public health staff are obviously concerned about the effects on health from smoking illicit tobacco.”

The black market also has links with organised crime. A report by HMRC in 2015 noted that illicit trade in tobacco, alcohol and pharmaceuticals is more attractive because of the lower risk compared to drug-trafficking, for example.

It added: “The high profit margins associated with illicit trade are used to fund other criminal and terrorist activities, a fact not widely understood by the British public.”

Steve Wilkins, anti-illicit trade director at tobacco firm JTI, said: “The link of illegal tobacco to serious and organised crime is very real. 

“Along with Crimestoppers, we hope to rid our streets of illegal tobacco and stop criminals infiltrating our communities.”

Report information and concerns to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

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