National Trading Standards operation results in illegal cigarettes and tobacco seized in Trowbridge

Wiltshire Council Trading Standards has taken part in a large-scale, nationally funded, Illegal tobacco disruption operation, (Op CeCe), in Trowbridge.

It took place on 11 March and was co-ordinated by Trading Standards South West (TSSW.org.uk), during a week of action (commencing on 10 March.)

Supported by police, the operation saw over 5,000 illegal cigarettes and 1 kg of illegal hand rolling tobacco, seized by Trading Standards officers. 

Cheap, illegal tobacco and vapes are easily accessible to young people.  The money made from their sale is used by organised criminal gangs to finance other illegal activities, such as drug, modern day slavery and people trafficking. Young people are brought into contact with such individuals selling, who have unknown and unchecked backgrounds, putting them at greater risk.

Across the region, Trading Standards officers have discovered several sophisticated concealments being used by the criminals, to conceal their stock. Criminal gangs go to great lengths to hide it from the authorities, protecting their stock from seizure.

Parvis Khansari, Wiltshire Council Corporate Director, Place, said: This operation sends out a clear message that this sort of illegal activity will not be tolerated in Wiltshire.

Kate Blackburn, Director of Public Health - Wiltshire, said: Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in England, killing two out of three smokers.

Cheap, illegal tobacco undermines smokers' attempts to quit their addiction and is also more easily available to children and young people. Support to quit, and information about our Smoke Free app, can be found at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/smokefree.

Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said: The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law. Having removed 60,473,235 cigarettes and 16,416kg of hand rolling tobacco between 1st January 2001 and 30th September 2024 in England and Wales, Operation CeCe (a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC) has taken £35.3million pounds worth of illicit tobacco off the market since the operation launched in 2021 and continues to successfully disrupt this illicit trade.

Ben Hayes is the regional illegal tobacco and vape lead in the South West. He co-ordinates OpCeCe work and provide additional support and expertise to local Trading Standards teams, he said: This has been another successful multi-agency operation to tackle the illegal tobacco disruption, and the criminals who operate in our communities. Members of public need to be aware of serious criminal association that these products have to criminal gangs. I urge anyone with concerns about sales of the illegal tobacco and vaping products, including their underage sales, to report them to Trading Standards South West www.tssw.org.uk/report-it you may have the missing piece of information that we need to disrupt serious and organised crime.

Sales of illegal tobacco and/or vapes can be reported anonymously to the Trading Standards South West team at www.tssw.org.uk/report-it or by calling the Citizens Advice consumer advice line on 0808 223 1133.