Kettering self-storage unit raid uncovers illegal tobacco worth more than £250k
Raids at a Kettering self-storage unit by police and trading standards officers have uncovered tobacco worth an estimated £258,000.
Officers from Kettering Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) and North Northamptonshire Council’s trading standards carried out the joint visit on Friday, August 8.
The investigation and action began after officers received information which suggested large amounts of illicit tobacco were being stored within a container at the storage facility.
Although no-one was present at the unit, the team found a total of 708 packs of hand rolling tobacco and 325,080 individual cigarettes (16,254 packets) worth an estimated £258,000.
PC James Batten, of Kettering NPT, said: “This great result was made possible thanks to community intelligence – people telling us what they know, see or hear.
“When we receive reports like this, we work with the relevant partners to build up a picture of potentially illegal activity and take action against it.
“Illegal tobacco products may well be fake, and carry increased health risks, as well as often being linked to organised crime.
“I’d like to thank everyone who shared information with us – as this joint agency work shows, we will act on what you tell us to protect our communities and prevent and detect crime.”
Councillor Kirk Harrison (Reform, Raunds) executive member for regulatory services at North Northamptonshire Council, added: “We have a zero-tolerance approach around illegal tobacco products. The cigarettes and tobacco seized had the potential to harm individuals and our communities. This latest seizure is an excellent example of effective partnership working and our thanks go to the officers involved in the case and their ongoing work.
“It's important for our residents to know that those involved in this type of illicit activity often have links into wider criminality. If members of the public are concerned about the sale of illegal cigarettes, tobacco or vapes, I’d urge them to report it to trading standards.”
Report concerns about the sale of illegal tobacco products by visiting the North Northamptonshire trading standards website at https://orlo.uk/oinD4