Coventry City Council has been thanked by the National Trading Standards Service for its work in cracking down on the illegal tobacco trade.
Chairman of the Service, Lord Michael Bichard, has written to the Council to praise the work that has taken place in recent years and to thank the teams behind it.
Coventry City Council was one of the top 15 authorities across the country in terms of seizures of illegal tobacco in 2023.
Illegal cigarettes and tobacco products are smuggled into the country to avoid tax and have no health warnings or pictures. They often carry extra health dangers, and the trade supports serious crime such as drug dealing, human trafficking and prostitution.
It can also provide an additional, undeclared income to benefit cheats and puts genuine local traders out of business.
The Council works with partners including the police to disrupt the activities of illegal traders, with regular visits to premises, and seizures taking place most weeks.
Many counterfeit or smuggled products have been found hidden inside sophisticated hiding places built into floors or walls of stores in the city that could only be detected by specialist sniffer dogs.
Recent successes in Coventry have included a case in December last year when a city store was ordered to close its doors for the continuing sale of illegal cigarettes and vapes; and in January this year, bags full of illegal vapes and cigarettes were seized in a number of raids on shops across the city.
In a letter to the Council, Lord Bichard says:
“National Trading Standards has been working with HMRC, since January 2020, to support the delivery of the Illicit Tobacco Strategy.
“Since the programme began, this operation has resulted in the seizure of over 45 million cigarettes and 11 tonnes of hand rolling tobacco, with a revenue value of almost £26 million across England and Wales.
“I wanted to thank you for the excellent support provided by your Trading Standards Service as part of this programme.”
Cllr Abdul Salam Khan, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member Responsible for Enforcement, said
“Our teams work very hard to crack down on this illegal trade which can harm so many in so many ways, and damage our communities.
“We are delighted that our work has been recognised nationally, and my thanks and congratulations to all those involved for the hard work and dedication they show every day in keeping our residents safe.
“We will continue to work with the police and other partners, and we would urge any resident who sees anything suspicious to contact us. We also warn any shopkeepers tempted to enter this illegal trade to think again, as they will be caught and we will take enforcement action.”
Debbie Cahalin-Heath, from Coventry City Council’s regulatory services, said:
“As part of the police led operation, we’ve been out today visiting retail premises.
“It’s part of spot-checks, which often leads to the seizure of hundreds of illegal vapes and cigarettes.”
“A standard disposable vape should contain enough liquid for 600 puffs but often items seized can contain anything upwards of 10,000 puffs which means they are illegal and cannot be sold in the UK market.
“It’s staggering to see how much more liquid the vapes hold. But partnership work is vital for this to work effectively.
“People under-age are often targeted by sellers.”
To read more about the work of Trading Standards officers in the city, and how you can report suspicious activity, visit the Council website.