The courts have closed three Swindon shops which stocked illegal vapes and tobacco.
Police officers, alongside the HMRC, Trading Standards and Immigration Enforcement, raided the stores in Manchester Road on Tuesday morning (19 November).
Five people were arrested under the Trade Marks Act – with more than £55,000 worth of illicit products seized from Kubus Polski Off Licence, Istanbul Market and the Romanian and Polish Shop.
At Swindon Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Wednesday, 20 November), police applied for a closure order banning the shops from opening for three months.
The order was granted for Kubus Polski Off Licence for three months, while interim orders were granted for Istanbul Market and the Romanian and Polish Shop ahead of a further court hearing.
For now, all three stores will be forced to close their doors to the public. It is a criminal offence to enter a property which is subject to a closure order.
PC Butwell said: “Our role as a Neighbourhood Policing Team is to target local community issues.
“Concerns were raised by the community about the ongoing illegal sales in these shops, which led to the warrants being conducted.
“To further address these concerns and to prevent future issues, we took action to seek Closure Orders on these premises.
“If you have any information regarding ongoing illegal activity, please pass it on to police either by calling 101 or contacting Crimestoppers anonymously so that action can be taken.”
