Thousands of illegal cigarettes seized from Kent stores

Four businesses in the town were visited by officers in the Medway Community Safety Unit, who were working in partnership with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and Medway Council.

Court warrants were secured ahead of the visits to grant officers access to private areas of the shops. In one premise, a specialist search dog helped uncover thousands of cigarettes that had been hidden in a fridge freezer which was concealed behind a tiled wall in a fully functioning shower.

Officers also found the items, which had not paid the necessary UK duties, hidden behind ceiling tiles and in parked vans. The investigation will now be progressed by officers from HMRC.

Inspector Steve Bassett, from Kent Police, said: “Our activity caused significant disruption to well-organised offenders who are seeking to profit at the taxpayer’s expense. Offending like this is not a harmless crime, these items are often brought into the country by organised crime groups who we cannot allow to go unchallenged.

“Opportunistic shopkeepers who sell these items also gain an unfair advantage over law-abiding businesses and this can have a detrimental impact on the livelihoods of shop holders acting legitimately.”

Tom Hunnisett, assistant director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, added:  “The sale of illegal tobacco will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies. Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clamp down on the illicit tobacco market, which steals money away from our vital public services and undermines legitimate traders.

“We encourage anyone with information about the illegal sale of tobacco to report it online or call the Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887.’