More than £80,000 worth of illicit tobacco and vapes seized in Kettering

An operation which took place in Kettering this month saw more than £80,000 worth of illicit tobacco, cigarettes and vapes seized.

On Wednesday, November 8, officers from Kettering’s Neighbourhood Policing Team joined forces with Trading Standards to carry out three simultaneous store visits in the town.

As a result, £81,672 worth of goods were seized which included 418 illicit vapes worth £4,180, 82 packets of hand rolling tobacco worth £2,755, and 5,119 packets of cigarettes worth £74,737.

During one inspection, a discreet hidden cavity behind a cupboard was located at the back of the store where a significant amount of illicit tobacco and cigarettes were found.

PC James Batten from Kettering’s Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “I am really pleased with the results of this operation because it means that a large quantity of harmful goods are now off the streets of Northamptonshire and away from members of the public.

“Illicit tobacco is not only bad for your health, but it can also be a sign of something more sinister such as serious and organised crime.

“We will continue working alongside our partners at Trading Standards to conduct these inspections and I hope this case is a warning to other stores selling similar items.

“Finally, I would like to thank the anonymous member of the public who passed on their concerns regarding these stores. Community intelligence is vital to a neighbourhood policing team and I hope this result shows how keen we are to listen to our residents and act on their information.”