fake richmond cigarettes Wolverhampton mechanic caught with 200,000 illegal in his van Trading standards teams catch illegal

"Anyone with information about people or businesses involved in the sale, storage or smuggling of illicit tobacco can contact HMRC online

The illegal trade diverts 2.1bn a year in tax from HM Revenue and Customs

The court heard that in April 2024, Addison was caught in Kidlington with a bag containing cigarettes and tobacco on the back seat of his car together with a notebook detailing sales records

Fake cigarettes are often sold at noticeably low prices, which can make them attractive to buyers looking for a bargain

Counterfeit cigarettes pose even greater health risks than legitimate ones as they often contain far more nicotine

Cigarettes worth over 1m have been seized during a search operation in Castlebar, Co Mayo