Staffordshire County Council Trading Standards have seized illicit vapes, cigarettes, tobacco and shisha with a combined retail value of more than £28,000 in three separate raids in Burton on 21 August.
The raids, which took place as part of the National Trading Standards (NTS) and HMRC-backed Operation CeCe and Operation Joseph initiatives, uncovered more than 33,180 illegal cigarettes, 747 vapes, 4kg of hand rolling tobacco and 15 packs of shisha.
Victoria Wilson, Cabinet Member responsible for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council, said: “Our Officers continue to tackle the sale of illicit tobacco and vapes, and it’s great to see yet another successful operation.
“Officers worked in conjunction with Staffordshire Police and licensing and immigration Officers, while visiting three premises in Burton. The illegal and illicit goods were found in all premises, with some being hidden in special compartments.
“Anyone with information on the sale of such goods should contact the team, who will investigate the matter.”
NTS Chair, Lord Michael Bichard, said: “The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law.
“Having removed 19 million illegal cigarettes and 5,103kg of hand rolling tobacco in 2023-24, Operation CeCe has taken £27.2m worth of illicit tobacco off the market since the operation launched in 2021 and continues to successfully disrupt this illicit trade.”
Since the start of Operations CeCe and Joseph, Staffordshire Trading Standards has seized almost 610,000 cigarettes, more than 25,000 vapes and 301 kg of hand rolling tobacco. The confiscated goods have a total retail value of around £740,000.
