Illicit tobacco worth £15,000 was found when police raided a shop in Swindon – with two people arrested at the scene.
Officers visited Kubus Polski in Manchester Road, along with an adjoining property, as part of a warrant on Monday (15 June).
They were supported by staff from Trading Standards and the HMRC. Two men were arrested – one of whom attempted to flee via an upstairs window.
Around £5,500 worth of illegal tobacco and cigarettes was located and seized.
A car linked to the premises was also seized and was found to contain around £10,000 of illicit tobacco.
Sergeant Winter of the Swindon Central South NPT said: “This warrant followed intelligence that potentially dangerous illicit tobacco and vapes were again being sold at the store.
“As we have repeatedly said, these are a significant health risk due to the lack of quality control, meaning they potentially contain higher levels of harmful substances, as well as banned chemicals
“The sale of illicit tobacco and vapes is also often linked to the exploitation of children, people trafficking and illegal working.
“We will continue to take enforcement action to ensure there is no place for this type of organised crime in Swindon.”
Councillor Matt Hinton, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Community Engagement, Safety and Services, said: “I’m really pleased our Trading Standards team were able to support
Wiltshire Police colleagues with this operation to take a significant quantity of illicit tobacco off our streets.
“Illicit tobacco is often linked to organised crime and has a harmful impact on our communities, undermining legitimate businesses and funding wider criminal activity.”
