Operation Crossbow: £19k worth of illicit tobacco and cigarettes seized from retailers across the west as part of force-wide day of action

On Monday 2 February, over 100 officers from multiple departments across the Constabulary gathered at Cheshire Police Headquarters in Winsford to take part in Operation Crossbow.

The bespoke collaborative effort aimed to disrupt criminal activity across Cheshire and its borders, with a particular focus on locating criminals who remained outstanding for offences including violence against women and girls (VAWG), domestic abuse and rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO).

Their efforts resulted in 50 outstanding criminals being arrested.

Alongside the hunt for wanted criminals, a number of other operational activities were conducted as part of the day.

This included a trading standards deployment with a team of western officers and Trading Standards officers visiting eight retailers across Chester, Northwich and Winsford.

The team, aided by partner colleagues from local authority licensing, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and specialist search dogs, found considerable quantities of illegal tobacco and vape products that are believed to be harmful to the health of users.

Additionally, these illicit products had been hidden in concealments out of sight within the shops. However, thanks to the assistance of specialist detection dogs, the products were quickly identified and seized by officers.

It is estimated that around £14k of illegal cigarettes were seized, along with around £5k worth of illegal tobacco.

On top of the seizures, a closure order notice was served on a store in Boughton on Friday 6 February. This store will be closed for the next three months.

Colleagues from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service also served a Prohibition Notice on the flat above the premises.

Inspector James Wilson, who oversaw the operation, said:

“Operation Crossbow was a very busy day for the Constabulary, and alongside the targeting of wanted criminals we utilised the increased resources to work alongside our community partners in tackling issues in our communities that we know mean a lot to our residents.

“This operation conducted across Winsford, Northwich and Chester sends a clear message that illegal tobacco and vaping products have no place in the west.

“There really is nowhere to hide when it comes to distributing products that are illegal for a reason, and today’s results are a testament to the excellent work of our officers and partners who are committed to bringing organised criminals, as well as those who exploit the most vulnerable people in our society, to justice.

“With that in mind, we cannot take action like this without your support. Information submitted to us from members of the public is vital to our investigations, so I would encourage anyone with any information or concerns about illegal activity in their area to get in touch.”