A Hereford store has been temporarily closed following the discovery of illegal tobacco concealed in a ceiling space.
Officers from Hereford city centre team joined partners at Trading Standards, supported by sniffer dogs from BWY Canine for a visit to a premises on Eign Gate, Hereford yesterday (Monday 28 July).
During the search, officers located a highly sophisticated concealment hidden in the ceiling of the shop, which was operated by hydraulic rams and locks.
With no co-operation from those working in the shop, the concealment was opened by force and a quantity of illegal tobacco was located and seized.
Illegal cigarettes with an estimated equivalent retail value of £4,275 or street value of around £1,900 and illegal hand rolling tobacco with a retail value of £190/street value of £27 were taken away. The sale of these items would amount to almost £3,400 of duty being evaded.
Trading Standards officers closed the shop under Closure Order Powers contained available within the Crime & ASB Act 2014.
They are due to attend Herefordshire Magistrates Court to apply for a three-month closure to disrupt the criminality and help protect the public from the sale of illicit tobacco products being sold there.
Police Sergeant Duncan Reynolds from Hereford city centre team said: “Yesterday we attended a shop on Eign Gate following community concerns around the sale of counterfeit and illicit tobacco.
“Working with our partners at Trading Standards and an independent drugs dog handler, we uncovered a highly sophisticated concealment hidden in the ceiling of the shop, operated by hydraulic rams and locks.
“The illegal tobacco products were seized by Trading Standards who closed the shop using their powers and are now in the process of applying for a three-month closure to disrupt the criminality and help protect the public from the sale of illicit tobacco products.
“We will continue to visit stores suspected of selling counterfeit tobacco and illicit vaping products to shield our communities from harm and act where appropriate.
“The black market of illegal products takes revenue away from the legitimate sales of legal tobacco and vapes by law-abiding retailers and such counterfeit and illicit items are often linked to organised criminal gangs and modern-day slavery.”
