U.K West Yorkshire and Hertfordshire Crack Down on Illegal E-Cigarettes and Tobacco Products

Key Points:

·Enforcement action: Leeds City Council, West Yorkshire Trading Standards, and police have conducted a joint operation to crack down on illegal e-cigarette and tobacco products. 

·Outcomes: Seizure of a significant amount of illegal products, closure of non-compliant stores, application for closure orders for premises, and revocation of licenses. 

·Background: Illegal tobacco and e-cigarette trade has negative impacts on community safety, the health of young people, and legitimate businesses. 

·Follow-up measures: Hertfordshire County will carry out a similar operation to further clamp down on illegal product supply and protect the interests of residents and legitimate businesses.

【2Firsts News Flash】According to a report by Talking Retail on July 18, police licensing teams, community policing teams, Leeds City Council, and West Yorkshire Trading Standards took action to investigate Dana Local store.

They confiscated a batch of illegal e-cigarettes and illegal cigarettes hidden behind a false wall.

The city council has applied for a closure order, which was approved in court last week, and the store's license has also been revoked.

This job is part of the Leeds and West Yorkshire Summer "Safer Streets" initiative.

In another operation last week, the Trade Standards Bureau led a multi-agency joint action with the assistance of professional detection dogs as part of "Operation CeCe" to crack down on illegal tobacco and illegal e-cigarettes.

This operation conducted inspections in Watford, Bushey, Stevenage, Royston, and Hatfield in Hertfordshire, aimed at combating and disrupting the illegal tobacco and e-cigarette supply within the county.

During the operation, tobacco and illegal e-cigarettes were discovered and confiscated, some of which were hidden in complex hiding spots.

Deputy Executive Director of Public Health and Community Safety for Hertfordshire County, Allison Wren, stated:

“This action shows that we will take necessary measures to crack down on businesses selling these products. We have a responsibility to protect residents from the risks of illegal e-cigarettes and illegal tobacco products, disrupt their distribution channels, and hold sellers accountable. If any businesses have questions about regulations and their responsibilities, our trade standards team can provide consultation and support to help them operate safely and legally.”

The Chairman of the National Trading Standards Board, Lord Michael Bichard, stated:

“Illegal tobacco trading is driven by organized crime groups and poses a serious risk to local communities, especially young people. Since launching in January 2021, Operation Ceasefire - an initiative in collaboration with the National Trading Standards Authority and Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - has removed 69 million illegal cigarettes, 19,750 kilograms of hand-rolling tobacco, and nearly 175 kilograms of waterpipe tobacco from the market, helping to combat illegal trade and protect communities and law-abiding businesses across the UK.”