Illegal cigarettes seized from four shops

Sophisticated hidden concealments were found to be hiding the illegal products

More than 8,000 illegal cigarettes and 3.5kg of counterfeit tobacco was seized from stores in one part of Wales during police raids. The operation, carried out by Flintshire County Council Trading Standards, North Wales Police, Immigration services and Wagtail UK detection dogs seized the illegal products from four stores across the county.

The stores in Mold, Holywell, Buckley and Connah’s Quay were targeted in a two-day operation which saw a total of 8,460 counterfeit cigarettes and 3.5kg of counterfeit tobacco seized.

The raids were part of a national initiative known as Operation CeCe, an enforcement campaign aimed at disrupting the supply of illegal tobacco and related products, which can “pose serious risks to public health and undermine legitimate local businesses.”

The four properties were searched and an estimated total street value of £2,500 worth of goods were found in sophisticated hidden concealments which were being used to store the illegal products. Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here

David Fitzsimon, chief officer for place and growth, said: “The seizure of illegal cigarettes and tobacco during these raids highlights the scale of this issue and the importance of this ongoing enforcement work.

“As well as the risks associated with consumers having no guarantees over what these products contain, this kind of criminal activity also damages the trade of local businesses and is frequently associated with broader criminal networks that cause harm to our communities.

“We remain committed to working alongside partners to identify and disrupt illegal trading, and will continue to take robust action wherever it is found.”

Residents are encouraged to report suspected illegal sales to Flintshire County Council Trading Standards by emailing trading.standards@flintshire.gov.uk.