Officers from Flintshire’s Trading Standards seized illegal tobacco in commercial premises in Connahs Quay and Flint. The operation was assisted by North Wales Police.

In one premises, illegal tobacco was found in a purpose-built hide in a bathroom, highlighting the lengths sellers will go to avoid detection. 

At a second location, illegal tobacco was found in a van parked near targeted premises. Enquiries into where the tobacco came from are currently ongoing.

This crackdown adds to the growing number of seizures in Wales, as HMRC recently revealed that over one million illegal cigarettes have been taken off the Welsh market since January.

Raids across the country have also confiscated 3,000 pouches of illegal hand-rolling tobacco.

The combined street value of these items is estimated at £280,000, and is expected to clime as data is gathered from last disruption activity of 2021.

Illegal tobacco remains a growing problem in Wales, as latest figures from ASH Wales estimate that illegal tobacco makes up 15% of the tobacco market. For context, it is predicted that a million illegal cigarettes are smoked each day in Wales.

The latest disruption activity in North Wales was hailed as a success and was attributed to gathered intelligence.

Richard Powell, Flintshire’s Trading Standards investigations manager, said: ‘‘This was a successful operation based on information from previous operations, and recently received intelligence that indicated the targets were supplying illicit tobacco’’.

Suzanne Cass, CEO of ASH Wales, highlighted that intelligence is a cornerstone of disruption activity, she said: “ Reporting illegal sellers is integral to disruption activity here in Wales, and helps in the fight against illegal tobacco.

“For too long illegal tobacco has been seen as an area of low-importance, as people often fail to see the wider implications it holds.

“Illegal cigarettes are sold at pocket money prices, which is a known gateway for children to start smoking. This, coupled with the fact that illegal tobacco has been known to fund other areas of crime, highlights that this market needs to be kept out of Wales. I would urge the public to report illegal sellers, and ultimately protect their communities”.

Since January 2021 Trading Standards and HMRC have made seizures in 12 council areas across Wales. It is predicted that the final month of the year will bring additional crackdowns, as the last operations of the year are currently underway.