£5,000 Cash and Thousands of Illegal Cigarettes Seized in Big Tobacco Bust
Medway police cracked down hard on illegal tobacco sales on 30 October 2020, swooping on two local shops. Alongside tens of thousands of smuggled cigarettes, officers confiscated £5,000 in cash and 20.15kg of untaxed hand-rolled tobacco.
Joint Forces Nab Tax Dodgers and Tobacco Traffickers
The raids were a joint effort by the Medway Community Safety Unit, Community Policing Unit, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Medway Council’s Public Health Team, and Home Office Immigration Enforcement. Armed with court warrants, officers searched private parts of the shops with help from specialist tobacco-sniffing dogs from BWY Canine Specialist Search Dogs, uncovering goods with dodgy duty payments.
Top Cop Blasts ‘Opportunistic’ Shopkeepers Fueling Crime
Inspector Steve Bassett, Kent Police said: “This was the second time in recent months we’ve targeted shops believed to be profiting from illegal cigarette sales. These products come into the UK thanks to organised crime gangs and this isn’t a victimless crime. It hurts UK taxpayers and cheats honest traders.”
“We will keep clamping down on businesses involved in this dodgy trade.”
Medway Council and HMRC Warn Residents to Report Illegal Tobacco Sellers
Cllr David Brake, Medway Council’s Public Health lead, added: “Stopping tens of thousands of illegal cigarettes from hitting Medway streets is fantastic news. Working with Kent Police and HMRC, we’re protecting our residents.”
“Illegal tobacco poses serious health risks. We urge people to report shops selling it.”
HMRC’s Tom Hunnisett also weighed in: “Illegal tobacco won’t be tolerated. Disrupting this criminal trade protects vital public services and supports honest businesses.”
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