By Ashley Young-
The eye of media.com heard that trading Standards stormed six shops during the timed raids on Wednesday and seized numerous cigarettes packets worth thousands of pounds.
Cops used sniffer dog to sniff out the cigarettes hidden behind false walls, light fittings, under counters, and also in boxes of biscuits. The sting followed tip offs that a number of shops were illegally selling the thousands of cigarettes to pull in customers disgruntled about the hike in cigarette prices. Cigarette packets are now sold in 20 packs, making the former variety of packs also available in tens redundant.
Birmingham City Council’s trading standards team worked with West Midlands Police following reports of them being supplied in a number of premises. The successful raids send out a warning to many other shops illegally selling foreign cigarettes for cheaper prices to members of the public. Those benefiting from the cheap sales are less likely to make a report, but some others who catch wind of the illegal sales could easily report it if they have personal objections to the sales.
A source from Birmingham City Trading Standards told the eye of media.com ‘’ Many shops are conducting these illegal sales, but they run the risk of being found out. Sometimes, it is their partner or associate who may spitefully report them to trading standards or the police. Other times, it could be a trading standards employee who will discover the illegal activity and make the report. Once the word goers out that illegal cigarettes are being sold cheaply in a certain shop, that word could easily get to a trading standard official.
Those who think they can escape detection by illegally selling cigarettes in their premises need to think again’’. West Midlands police also discovered packs of suspected counterfeit and “cheap foreign labelled cigarettes”, which the council said “breached consumer protection legislation and are non-duty paid” and therefore cannot be legally sold in the UK.
Chair of the city council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee, Coun Barbara Dring, said in a statement:said: “Illegal cigarettes were found at all six shops visited during this operation, and as a result Trading Standards have taken 30,000 illegal cigarettes out of circulation, worth around £7,500.
“Those involved in dealing in illegal tobacco may be encouraging people, including children, to smoke by providing a cheap source. This activity also brings crime into our neighbourhoods, which is why it is important we tackle this as it also impacts on businesses that are trading legally.
“The detection dogs can find tobacco and cigarettes even if hidden in the most unlikely places.
“Offenders need to know that they will face consequences if they choose to deal in these illegal products.”
Birmingham City Council’s Trading Standards Service said they continue to focus on intelligence-led inspections to stamp out the illegal supply and will continue to work with their partners to focus their activities.