Illicit tobacco seized from Peterborough shops

Thousands of illicit cigarettes have been seized from Peterborough shops following raids in the city.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Mar 2016, 16:15 BST
The seized tobaccoThe seized tobacco
The seized tobacco

The raids were made as part of a joint operation between Peterborough Trading Standards, HMRC and Cambridgeshire police.

Karen Woods, Regulatory Officer, Trading Standards at Peterborough City Council, said: “Illegal tobacco costs the UK £2 billion a year. This week we seized 20,000 cigarettes in Peterborough that are suspected to be illicit and potentially counterfeit. In addition to cigarettes we also confiscated more than ten kilograms of rolling and chewing tobacco.

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“It is a crime to sell illegal tobacco, and it also has a damaging effect on the majority of local businesses that trade legally. We will continue to take action against anyone selling or supplying illegal tobacco in Peterborough.”

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Sniffer dog AlfieSniffer dog Alfie
Sniffer dog Alfie

Officers were accompanied by sniffer dog Alfie to find the tobacco.

Anyone with information about the sale of illicit cigarettes is asked to email [email protected] or call 01733 747474