An operation to disrupt the sale and supply of illegal tobacco and alcohol across the London Borough of Merton uncovered more than 1,000 cigarettes, more than five kilos of hand-rolling tobacco and nearly 60 litres of alcohol all believed to be illicit and seized.
Officers using detection dogs from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) with support from Merton Trading Standards and the police visited thirteen retail premises and self-storage units on March 20 and March 22.
Merton Council’s assistant director of public protection, John Hill said: “This week has seen a co-ordinated clampdown across Merton on those retailers who are putting public health seriously at risk by selling fake products which are not what they are purporting to be.
“This kind of activity is not only immoral, it is dangerous and illegal and we will continue to work closely with the public and our partners to stamp it out.”
The visits as part of HMRC’s Tobacco Taskforce activity led to suspected illegal tobacco and alcohol products being seized from three premises.
A spokesman for the Fraud Investigation Service at HMRC said: “The sale of illegal tobacco and alcohol will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies.”
Anyone with information regarding tobacco fraud is encouraged to report it via the HMRC website on http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/reportingfraud/online.htm
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