A police operation in Blackburn led to the discovery of illegal cigarettes and vapes at a local newsagents, prompting further investigations.
Blackburn: Recently, there was a big police raid at a newsagents in town. They brought along sniffer dogs, and boy, did they find some stuff! The officers discovered a stash of illegal cigarettes and vapes hidden away in the back room.
During the operation, they found over 1,300 cigarettes that weren’t properly taxed, along with counterfeit tobacco and a bunch of vapes that were way over the legal limit. It’s wild how they managed to hide all that in a place you wouldn’t expect.
The team had to do some serious searching to uncover these hidden items. They even asked the shop to hand over the vapes, and now the business is getting a warning letter. It’s a bit of a wake-up call for them.
As for the cigarettes and tobacco, the authorities are passing the case to HMRC to deal with it. The shop owner could be looking at a hefty fine if this is their first offense. It’s a serious matter, and the council is stepping up their game to tackle these issues more effectively.
Rachel Wilcock, a senior trading standards officer, emphasized how important it is to crack down on illegal tobacco sales. She mentioned that they have new tools to help them catch offenders and ensure businesses play by the rules.
She also encouraged local businesses to source their products from legitimate suppliers and reminded everyone that if they spot any dodgy products, they can report it online or call for help. It’s all about keeping the community safe and fair.
