£24,000 worth of illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes seized following joint operation at Warrington retailer
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With the assistance of colleagues from Warrington Borough Council, Trading Standards, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and HMRC, officers from Warrington have seized over £24k worth of illegal tobacco and vape products following a warrant at a retailer in the town.
Last Monday, 15 June, officers from Warrington Beat Management and Foreign National Offender teams conducted a section 8 warrant a commercial property in the Winwick Street area of the town after receiving reports that illegal produce was being sold.
With support from the local council, Trading Standards officers, colleagues from both Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service and His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the shop and a flat above it was searched.
Initially believing the flat above had been left unoccupied, the team then found a 21-year-old man hiding in the loft area. He was arrested on suspicion of knowingly entering the UK without leave since been passed over to immigration teams.
Following further enquiries, a 47-year-old man from Warrington was arrested on suspicion of holding a person in slavery or servitude. He has since been released on conditional bail.
Whilst in the loft area, officers found a quantity of illegal vapes, around 25,000 cigarettes and 6kg of hand-rolled tobacco, with an estimated total retail value of approximately £24,000.
During the search of the loft, a chute that led directly into the shopfront two floors below, believed to transfer the goods, was also found.
Following the conclusion of the warrant, colleagues from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, served the property with a Section 31 Prohibition Notice due to a number of safety concerns relating to electrics inside.
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Police Constable James A’Hearne, Bewsey and Whitecross Beat Manager, said:
“Based on what our officers and partner colleagues found during the warrant on Winwick Road, namely a installation of three-storey product distribution shoot, it was evident that this property and its occupant were very much involved in the facilitation of illegal vapes, cigarettes and tobacco products.
“Whilst taking action against this kind of criminality might seem trivial to some, the selling of products such as this can have serious consequences. Not only does the purchasing of illegal goods fund organised crime in your area but it also can be linked to more serious offences such as immigration crime, people smuggling and modern-day slavery offences.
“We cannot conduct operations such as this without the invaluable support of our community partners at Warrington Borough Council, Trading Standards, HMRC and Cheshire Fire and Rescue - who helped keep the property safe by serving a Prohibition Notice in relation to dangerous electricals found inside. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their efforts today.
“We also cannot conduct warrants and take proactive measures against organised criminals in your communities without the support of you. If you have any concerns regarding the sale of illegal goods or any suspicious activity in your area, please do not hesitate to contact your local Beat team and allow us to take it from there.”