Thousands of cigarettes were seized in a series of raids on Spalding shops prompted by tip-offs from the public.
Lincolnshire Trading Standards and Lincolnshire Police’s Alcohol Licensing Team worked together to execute three warrants at shops in Spalding on Wednesday (December 2).
The Voice believes the Winsover store and Baltic in Winsover Road were two of the three shops involved, but Trading Standards said they would not name the shops while investigations are ongoing.
Officers spent several hours at the shops where they were seen loading items into waiting vehicles.
In total they recovered more than 17,000 counterfeit and illicit cigarettes.
The seized goods have now been sent for further analysis.
Beck and Bertie, tobacco detection dogs from Wagtail UK also assisted in the investigation.
Tara Carter, Senior Trading Standards Officer at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Following a number of test purchases and intelligence from the public about the shops storing and selling counterfeit cigarettes, we acted quickly with our enforcement colleagues from Lincolnshire Police and managed to seize a large quantity of non-duty paid and incorrectly labelled fags.”
Sgt Kimble Enderby, of Lincolnshire Police’s Licensing Department, added: “The sale of non-duty paid or smuggled goods is organised crime and store operators who are prepared to sell these goods, serve to promote this criminality.
“Working together, we can make sure that retailers don’t get away with selling these illegal and potentially dangerous items.
“If you’re suspicious, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Investigations are ongoing.
The Voice believes the Winsover store and Baltic in Winsover Road were two of the three shops involved, but Trading Standards said they would not name the shops while investigations are ongoing.
Officers spent several hours at the shops where they were seen loading items into waiting vehicles.
In total they recovered more than 17,000 counterfeit and illicit cigarettes.
The seized goods have now been sent for further analysis.
Beck and Bertie, tobacco detection dogs from Wagtail UK also assisted in the investigation.
Tara Carter, Senior Trading Standards Officer at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Following a number of test purchases and intelligence from the public about the shops storing and selling counterfeit cigarettes, we acted quickly with our enforcement colleagues from Lincolnshire Police and managed to seize a large quantity of non-duty paid and incorrectly labelled fags.”
Sgt Kimble Enderby, of Lincolnshire Police’s Licensing Department, added: “The sale of non-duty paid or smuggled goods is organised crime and store operators who are prepared to sell these goods, serve to promote this criminality.
“Working together, we can make sure that retailers don’t get away with selling these illegal and potentially dangerous items.
“If you’re suspicious, call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”
Investigations are ongoing.
