Member Article

Fake tobacco seized in Oldham raid

Officers from Oldham Council’s Trading Standards Team have successfully uncovered the biggest single haul of illegal and counterfeit tobacco in the borough following a raid on a local business.

The team, supported by the North West Trading Standards Illicit Tobacco Team paid a visit to a shop along Yorkshire Street, in Oldham, on Tuesday, February 11, following intelligence that counterfeit goods may have been inside.

A specialist tobacco sniffer dog uncovered 35,500 cigarettes and 14.5 kilos of hand rolling tobacco concealed in various locations in the building. The street value of the haul is estimated to be approximately £10,000.

Last year alone Oldham Council’s Trading Standards officers seized nearly 24,000 illegal cigarettes and 138 kilos of hand rolled tobacco which has been subsequently destroyed.

An investigation is currently being carried out following the discovery and the trading standards team will be questioning the owners of the business.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .