North Northamptonshire Trading Standards Officers have seized illicit tobacco worth an estimated £258,000 from a self storage unit in Kettering as part of a joint enforcement operation with Kettering Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT).
The investigation, which stemmed from intelligence about large amounts of tobacco being stored at the facility, resulted in a total of 708 packs of hand-rolling tobacco and 16,254 packets of cigarettes being seized on 8 August.
The illicit tobacco was discovered in a self storage unit in Kettering (image credit: Northamptonshire Police)
PC James Batten of Kettering NPT said: “This great result was made possible thanks to community intelligence – people telling us what they know, see or hear. When we receive reports like this, we work with the relevant partners to build up a picture of potentially illegal activity and take action against it.
“Illegal tobacco products may well be fake, and carry increased health risks, as well as often being linked to organised crime.
“I’d like to thank everyone who shared information with us – as this joint agency work shows, we will act on what you tell us to protect our communities and prevent and detect crime.”
Councillor Kirk Harrison, Executive Member for Regulatory Services at North Northamptonshire Council added: “We have a zero-tolerance approach around illegal tobacco products. The cigarettes and tobacco seized had the potential to harm individuals and our communities. This latest seizure is an excellent example of effective partnership working and our thanks go to the officers involved in the case and their ongoing work.
“It’s important for our residents to know that those involved in this type of illicit activity often have links into wider criminality. If members of the public are concerned about the sale of illegal cigarettes, tobacco or vapes, I’d urge them to report it to Trading Standards.”
Investigations into the individuals or businesses connected to the illicit tobacco haul are ongoing.
