Almost 8000 Illegal cigarettes seized from Cowley Road shop
Nearly 8,000 counterfeit and smuggled cigarettes were seized from a shop on Cowley Road in Oxford, following an investigation by Oxfordshire County Council’s trading standards team.
The raid netted 7,740 cigarettes, 5.85kg chewing tobacco, 4.2kg waterpipe tobacco, 800g hand rolling tobacco, and 77 unit packs of nicotine pouches, the majority of which were hidden above a ceiling tile. The total street value of the haul was approximately £5,000.
Councillor Jenny Hannaby, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety said: “This operation sends a clear message that we will not tolerate illegal tobacco in Oxfordshire. These items not only undermine public health but are often tied to serious criminal activity. Thank you to our brilliant team for their work in tackling this tackling the issue.”
The action was part of Operation CeCe, a national initiative to tackle the sale and supply of illegal tobacco products, funded by HMRC through a partnership with National Trading Standards.
An investigation has now been launched with those responsible facing potential criminal prosecution and additional civil sanctions including financial penalties. 
Jody Kerman, Oxfordshire County Council's Head of Prevention, Protection and Trading Standards, added: “The majority of this seizure was discovered hidden above a loose ceiling tile. However, it was spotted by one of our eagle eyed officers, who are highly trained in identifying the telltale signs of these concealments. My message to those who continue to sell illegal tobacco: expect us.”
Anyone with information about the illegal sale of tobacco and related items should contact 0300 999 6 999 to report it anonymously or visit https://stop-illegal-tobacco.co.uk/share-information
More information
Photos shows ceiling concealment, total seizure and an example of the counterfeit cigarettes seized. Please note: Marilyn Monroe is not an official pictorial health image.
Shops cannot be named while investigations are ongoing.
It can be hard to stop using tobacco products but help is available. People are three times more likely to successfully quit by using a stop smoking service like Smokefree Oxfordshire. The service is free to everyone living in the county
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