Gloucestershire trading standards operation uncovers tobacco haul

Illegal tobacco with a street value of more than £30,000 has been seized by Trading Standards officers.

Police searching a house in Gloucester discovered the haul of cigarettes and tobacco pouches behind a secret hatch under the floorboards.

Trading Standards officers had obtained a warrant in the Barton area during an investigation into the storage of illegal tobacco.

No duty had been paid on the tobacco, evading more than £55,000 in tax.

Trading Standards officers seized 4,465 packs of cigarettes and 806 pouches of hand rolling tobacco from the property.

The raid on the address followed a recent seizure of £1,000 worth of illegal tobacco from a nearby shop.

Further illegal tobacco was found in the kitchen, in an area under the stairs, and inside a fridge-freezer.

Trading Standards believed the cigarettes were part of an organised supply chain supporting sales of illegal tobacco, which they say costs the UK taxpayer around £2.3bn a year.

"This is not just a case of taking cheap tobacco off the streets," said Insp Si Motala, from the Gloucester Neighbourhood Policing Team.

"We know that illegal tobacco is often used to fund organised crime, which can have a significant impact on our communities.

"I hope this warrant shows that we will work with our partners, including Trading Standards, to disrupt those who are involved in this line of criminality."

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