£5k illegal tobacco haul seized by Trading Standards
A haul of over 3500 illegal cigarettes and 3kg of loose tobacco was seized by Hackney Council’s Trading Standards team last month.
The illegal goods - which have a street value in excess of £5000 - were confiscated on Friday 25 April after a woman was spotted acting suspiciously with a full shopping trolley and holdall in Graham Road.
Council officers stopped the woman who made off before the police arrived.
Illegal tobacco is untaxed, unregulated and often funds organised crime groups. While it still has all the harmful properties of legal tobacco, it’s also often available at pocket money prices, making it easier for children to start smoking and harder for others to quit. We will not hesitate to take enforcement action against those responsible for selling it.
Anyone with information about the woman’s identity or who suspects people or businesses of selling illegal tobacco or single cigarettes should contact the Council’s Trading Standards team on 020 8356 4929 or trading.standards@hackney.gov.uk. This can be done anonymously.
For more information about the telltale signs of illegal tobacco, visit: www.hackney.gov.uk/illegal-tobacco.