Oxfordshire Trading Standards Officers removed almost 10,000 counterfeit and illicit cigarettes and tobacco products from shops across the county in a series of raids at the end of January.
The team visited premises including convenience stores, off-licences, food shops and barbers in Banbury, Kidlington and Oxford. With help from specially trained tobacco detection dogs, they found 9,340 illegal cigarettes, 700g of counterfeit hand rolling tobacco, 180 unit packs of non-compliant nicotine pouches and 42 disposable vapes with a capacity of nicotine containing liquid nine times the maximum allowed. The combined street value of the seized goods is approximately £5,000.
The raids took place as part of Operation CeCe, a National Trading Standards and HMRC-supported initiative to tackle the sale and supply of illegal tobacco products.
Councillor Dr Nathan Ley, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health, Inequalities and Community Safety: “Our Trading Standards team, working in partnership with other agencies, will continue to crack down on the sale of these illegal products and cause the maximum disruption possible to criminal networks.
“People can help us to stamp out illegal tobacco and create a healthier and safer county by being vigilant and reporting any suspicious activity using the illegal tobacco hotline.”
Jody Kerman, Oxfordshire County Council’s Head of Trading Standards, added: “We are serious about taking action whenever we find anyone selling illegal tobacco. Its sale undermines legitimate businesses in Oxfordshire and puts money into the hands of criminals.”
Oxfordshire Trading Standards is among the services raising concerns about an ‘alarming’ rise in illicit sales of nicotine pouches – high-strength sachets of nicotine that are tucked beneath the lip.
The Oxfordshire team told the BBC they are seeing ‘significant growth’ in illegal products containing potentially dangerous levels of nicotine. Trading Standards teams in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Dorset have made more than 1,500 seizures in the past year.
The Government has announced the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill, as well as a ban on single-use vapes, in a bid to tighten rules around the sale of tobacco and nicotine products. New enforcement powers will mean the introduction of on-the-spot fines of £200 for retailers found to be breaking age-restricted sales laws, and there will be a new licensing scheme for retailers that sell tobacco, vaping and nicotine products in England.
