Illegal cigarettes and tobacco seized in Kidderminster

Around half a million pounds of counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco have been seized during a raid on shipping containers in Kidderminster.

Officers from Wyre Forest Safer Neighbourhood Team partnered with Worcestershire Trading Standards during the operation.

The large storage units contained scores of boxes and bags of illegal products.

Lisa Hornberger, the Wyre Forest Safer Neighbourhood Team Inspector, said:

“This joint operation with Trading Standards was a big success, uncovering such a large amount of high value counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco following good intelligence work.

“These illegal products would have been destined for black market tobacco sales which are linked to organised crime groups so taking them off the streets has not only protected the public from these unregulated products but also disrupted a wider network of criminal activity that impacts our local communities.”