POTENTIALLY dangerous, illegal and counterfeit cigarettes and other tobacco products have been seized by Thurrock Council’s trading standards team working with other law enforcement agencies.
In the latest raid, officers from trading standards, police and HM Revenue and Customs targeted a central Grays shop and seized 2,000 cigarettes and 64kg of tobacco with an estimated value of £20,000.
Cllr Sue MacPherson – the council`s portfolio holder for neighbourhoods – said: “Trading standards work tirelessly to protect people, locally and further afield.
“This latest action in Grays is not just about taxes, it highlights that as these counterfeit products not only resemble the real product, they are also made to poor standards.
“The International Chamber of Commerce has warned that counterfeit cigarettes have been found to contain things like dead flies and mould, as well as higher dosages of the harmful substances in legitimate cigarettes.”
Illicit cigarettes seized in the UK have been found to contain five times more cadmium, six times as much lead, 160 per cent more tar and 133 per cent more carbon dioxide.
Cllr MacPherson added: “We are concerned about the increased risk to the public involved by the illegal sale of these products which is why we are seeking to combat the trade which literally puts people’s health and life at risk.”
If members of the public would like to report sales of illegal tobacco please call Citizens Advice Consumer Service who will record the information and pass it on to Trading Standards. The number is 03454 040506.
Any reason the name of the shop has been withheld, surely they should be named & shamed!