Illegal tobacco haul seized in Northwich and Winsford crackdown

Thousands of illegal cigarettes and a large quantity of illicit tobacco have been seized during a joint operation carried out by Cheshire West and Chester Council, Police and HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

The operation took place on Wednesday 28th October and targeted four premises across Northwich and Winsford.

During the operation, a total of 21,140 cigarettes and 3.6kg of hand-rolling tobacco was seized.

The action was carried out as part of ongoing efforts to tackle the sale of illegal tobacco products, which undermine legitimate businesses, fund criminal activity and make it easier for children to access tobacco products.

Councillor Stuart Bingham, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Neighbourhood Pride said:

"The sale of illegal tobacco harms our communities and puts honest businesses at an unfair disadvantage.

“Illegal tobacco is often linked to wider criminality and can be sold without the safeguards and regulations applied to legitimate products.

"We work closely with our partners to disrupt this type of criminal activity and protect residents. Operations like this send a clear message that the sale of illegal tobacco will not be tolerated in Cheshire West and Chester.”

The Council's Public Protection team regularly works with partner agencies, including Cheshire Police and HMRC, to investigate intelligence and take action against traders found to be selling illicit goods.

Anyone with information about the sale of illegal tobacco can report it anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or online at:

https://crimestoppers-uk.org