Two arrested after illegal tobacco worth £32k seized in Weston-super-Mare

Two arrests have been made after illegal tobacco worth £32,000 has been seized in Weston-super-Mare.

Three premises in the town were the focus of an investigation last month with searches carried out with help from a specially trained tobacco sniffer dog.

Two arrests were made, and a significant amount of cash was seized along with a large quantity of illegal tobacco which had an estimated street value of around £32,000.

Investigations and enquiries are ongoing.

It was the result of an investigation involving North Somerset Council’s Trading Standards team, the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). 

Councillor James Clayton, North Somerset Council’s executive member for safety in the community, said: “I’d like to thank the officers and teams involved with this latest enforcement action and ongoing investigation.

“Here in North Somerset, there is zero tolerance for flouting the law in relation to tobacco products and the links this often has to wider criminality. There’s no place for this on our communities.

“I’d urge anyone who has concerns about the sale of illegal tobacco products and vapes to report it to Trading Standards South West via their website.”

Ben Hayes, part of the Regional Trading Standards Investigation Team (South West), added: “Cigarettes and tobacco which are counterfeit or made for the illegal market are less likely to adhere to safety standards or a standardised manufacturing process."

“We simply don’t know what conditions they’re made in. This poses a greater risk of them containing contaminants and in unknown quantities.

"When tested, counterfeit and other brands - specifically manufactured for the illegal market - exceed the maximum legal levels of tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide by more than 80 per cent."