Illegal tobacco uncovered in Cowick Street shop

Counterfeit tobacco and more than £1,000 in cash have been seized from a shop in Exeter following a joint operation by Trading Standards and Devon & Cornwall Police.

The raid took place on Saturday 24 May at a premises on Cowick Street, which sells tobacco and vape products. The enforcement action was prompted by intelligence gathered from the local community.

Trading Standards officers, supported by the local neighbourhood policing team, identified several offences at the location, resulting in the seizure of suspected illegal tobacco products alongside the cash.

Sergeant Matt Beards, who leads the Exeter neighbourhood team, said: “Buying cheap, counterfeit tobacco helps organised criminals to function in our communities and puts people at risk of harm.

“It’s also important to recognise that illegal goods do not go through regulated safety testing or quality control procedures, which means you can’t be sure what’s in them.

“Carrying out this proactive operation shows the value of partnership working and has resulted in identifying a significant amount of illicit – and potentially unsafe – tobacco which we have removed from circulation.

“I’d like to thank members of the public who reported concerns to us. The information we received really does make a difference in our investigations and I’d encourage anyone with concerns about businesses that may be operating illegally to contact us.”

Anyone with information about counterfeit goods is urged to contact Trading Standards at tradingstandards@devon.gov.uk or call 01392 383000.

Non-urgent crime and concerns about illegal business activity can be reported via the Devon & Cornwall Police website or by calling 101. Anonymous reports can also be made to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.