London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Trading Standards Officers have seized a total of 71,940 illicit tobacco products with an estimated combined retail value of £53,955 over the past three months.
The figures are being revealed as part of London Trading Standards Week, an annual campaign to highlight and celebrate the work being done by Trading Standards teams across the capital to keep the public safe.
The products were seized as a result of intelligence gathered from test purchasing exercises and complaints from the public. The illicit goods were then uncovered with the help of specially trained tobacco detection dogs.
The service also recently revealed that almost a quarter of businesses investigated in test purchase operations were found to be selling illegal tobacco.
Businesses that are found selling illegal tobacco face further investigation, potential prosecutions and licence reviews.
Councillor Syed Ghani, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety, said: “These seizures over the last few months underscore our determination to tackle the sale of illegal tobacco in our borough.
“The efforts of our Trading Standards team, supported by the use of tobacco detection dogs, are crucial in protecting public health and ensuring that those who engage in these illegal activities are prosecuted.”
