Police seize £3,000 worth of illegal tobacco in Norwich
More than £3,000 worth of illegal tobacco has been seized by police and trading standards in Norwich. Picture: Norfolk Constabulary - Credit: Archant
More than £3,000 worth of illegal tobacco has been seized by police and trading standards in Norwich.
A man has also been has also been arrested on suspicion of immigration offences.
Police officers working together with trading standards and HMRC seized the tobacco while carrying out checks on a number of shops in the north of the city on Monday night (January 28).
During the joint operation officers raided six shops and with the help of sniffer dogs recovered 4.5kg of illegal tobacco and 6,000 cigarettes, together worth around £3,000.
During the raids a man in his 20s was also arrested on suspicion of committing immigration offences. He was taken to Wymondham Police investigation Centre where he remains in custody.
Working together with Trading Standards, police and HMRC carried out a series of raids in Norwich on Monday night. Seizing 6,000 cigarettes and 4.5kg of hand rolling tobacco. Picture: Norfolk County Council - Credit: Archant
A spokesperson for Norfolk County Council's Trading Standards said: 'Since April 2018 we have had seven seizures of illegal tobacco in Norwich amounting to over 787KG hand rolling tobacco and 32,000 cigarettes.
Across Norfolk since April, just under 1.4m cigs and 883kg of hand rolling tobacco have been seized.'
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Adding that the authority investigates all reports of illegal goods it receives in Norfolk regardless of location, the spokesperson said: 'Illegal tobacco retailers are making smoking more accessible to children by selling illegal tobacco at pocket money prices. Once you have started smoking it is harder to stop and so we want to do everything we can to prevent people from starting smoking and damaging their health.
'A lot of the intelligence we receive in Norfolk about illegal tobacco alleges it is being sold to young people.
We have tested smuggled and counterfeit cigarettes seized in Norwich last year and found they failed fire safety testing. The cigarettes did not self-extinguish and so increase the risk of causing house fires if left unattended.'
To report a problem with a trader or product, call 03454 040506. Contact police on 101 if you know of a shop or licensed premises selling illegal tobacco.
