Illegal tobacco with a street value of more than £41,000 has been seized by Gloucestershire County Council trading standards officers after they were alerted by colleagues from Gloucestershire Constabulary. While police were responding to an incident at a property in Southgate Street in Gloucester on 19 April 2022, they forced… Read More
Illegal
Trio sentenced after pleading guilty to illegal tobacco sales
Three people have been convicted of selling illegal tobacco from a shop in Gloucester. They were brought before Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court yesterday (7 October) following an investigation by Gloucestershire County Council’s trading standards service. Shorsh Hashmi, aged 32, now living in Boston, Lincolnshire, Karwan Namiq, aged 34, of High Street,… Read More
“Fantastic result” as over £60,000 illegal tobacco seized in Swindon swoop
Swindon Trading Standards and Wiltshire Police have been praised for delivering “a fantastic result” says the South West’s Illegal Tobacco officer. Ben Hayes, who has been in the regional post for the last three years, praised the work of officers that saw the seizure of over £60,000 on tobacco from… Read More
Stamping out illegal tobacco crime in the South West
Over half a million pounds worth of illegal cigarettes and tobacco have been stubbed out of the South West thanks to the actions of a regional partnership. During the past 18 months, operations by Trading Standards and HMRC’s Tobacco Taskforce have resulted in the seizure of over 1 million illegal… Read More
Tobacco and alcohol seized in Dorset
An operation to disrupt the sale and supply of illegal tobacco and alcohol across Bournemouth, Poole and Dorset uncovered more than 205,000 cigarettes, 103 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco and 23 litres of alcohol, all believed to be illicit. Around 63 officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), with support from… Read More
No place to hide as stash is uncovered behind wall
Illegal tobacco and cigarettes worth more than £2,000 have been seized. The stash was uncovered by Gloucestershire County Council Trading Standards officers after they discovered a hidden compartment in the wall of a shop in Cheltenham. A shop known to sell illegal tobacco was closed recently and taken back by… Read More