Record-breaking Seizure of Illegal Tobacco and E-cigarettes in Bournemouth

Aug.01.2024
Record-breaking Seizure of Illegal Tobacco and E-cigarettes in Bournemouth
Illegal tobacco and e-cigarette worth over £200,000 seized in Bournemouth, setting BCP area record, alarming officials.

According to the Daily Mail reported on August 1st, authorities in Bournemouth, UK, seized over £200,000 worth of illegal tobacco, cigarettes, and e-cigarettes.


It has been reported that items seized in various locations in the city have a total market value of approximately £208,000, setting a record for the Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) area. These items include nearly 32 kilograms of illegal tobacco, 145,740 illegal cigarettes, 7,600 illegal e-cigarettes, and over 10 kilograms of illegal water pipes.


The Mayor's Public Protection Officer, Sophie Sajic, stated:


This seizure not only revealed a large quantity of illegal tobacco, cigarettes, and e-cigarettes being sold in our community, but also uncovered the use of complex hiding techniques to evade detection.


Data shows that in the past year, BCP-related departments seized a total of 395,673 pounds worth of illegal tobacco products from Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole, including 16,215 illegal e-cigarettes, 245,560 cigarettes, and over 67 kilograms of hand-rolled tobacco.


Sophie added:


In recent months, we have discovered numerous hidden storage rooms disguised as walls and shelves, some even sprinkled with coffee grounds and onions on top to deceive tobacco detection dogs.


Kieron Wilson, the cabinet member responsible for overseeing services, stated that the efforts of BCP "demonstrate the high level of attention that the local council, HM Revenue & Customs, and Dorset Police are giving to this issue.


He stated:


These items pose health and safety risks to young members of society, and we will continue to inspect community venues and crack down on illegal activities. I would like to commend our team for their relentless efforts in not only removing illegal tobacco products and e-cigarettes from the streets, but also making the areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole safer.


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