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Trading standards officers and officers from Essex Police visited the premises, based on Southchurch Road, and seized 5,000 illegal cigarettes and 3.5kg of illegal tobacco. The raid was carried out following a tip-off from a member of the public.
Councillor Martin Terry, cabinet member for community safety and customer contact, said: “We hope this serves a stark reminder that we will not just sit back whilst the public are being put at risk. We will continue to find and destroy any illegal tobacco products we find, and we will also push for large fines to those involved in the sale of these products. I urge anyone who has information about the selling or storing of illicit tobacco to report it to us in confidence.”
Chief inspector Ian Hughes, district commander for Southend, added: “This seizure means a significant amount of dangerous, illegal products won’t find their way into the hands of the public.
“We will continue working with our council partners to keep you safe.”
