Police and trading standards in Banbury uncover 'biggest seizure' of illegal tobacco in area

Trading standards officers in Oxford have made their biggest seizure of illicit cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco to date.  

Together with Thames Valley Police they raided a terrace house in Banbury on Friday.

Inside, police uncovered 44,440 cigarettes and 24,500 grams of hand-rolling tobacco with an illegal market value of over £20,000.

A man, 40, and woman, 39, were both interviewed under caution at Banbury Police Station. The investigation is ongoing.

The sting took place under Operation CeCe, a national trading standards initiative in partnership with HRMC, which is playing a significant role in disrupting the illicit trade and helping to take illegal tobacco products off the streets.