Illegal tobacco and vapes worth over £75,000 seized in Essex crackdown
During the raids, officials seized 116,000 cigarettes, over 54kg of hand-rolling tobacco valued at £42,980, and 4,300 illegal or non-compliant vapes worth £32,317
Over £75,000 worth of illegal tobacco and vapes have been seized during a major multi-agency operation in Essex.
As part of Operation Machinize, officers investigated 36 high street premises across Clacton, Colchester, Harlow, Chelmsford, Basildon, and Braintree throughout October.
Illegal goods were discovered at over 30 locations, with non-compliant vapes seized from 18 addresses.
The operation, led by Essex Trading Standards in partnership with Essex Police, Border Force, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, the Department of Work and Pensions, and the National Crime Agency, aims to tackle the illegal trade of tobacco and vape products while disrupting organised criminal operations.
During the raids, officials seized 116,000 cigarettes, over 54kg of hand-rolling tobacco valued at £42,980, and 4,300 illegal or non-compliant vapes worth £32,317. Additionally, £6,000 in cash and one uninsured vehicle were confiscated.
In total, Essex Trading Standards recorded seizures valued at £75,298, and investigations are ongoing.
Detective Chief Inspector Terry Balding of Essex Police said the operation highlights the scale of the illegal trade in the county.
“This operation sends a clear message: we will not tolerate the abuse of legitimate businesses to hide criminal activity. The scale of what we’ve uncovered shows how embedded this trade is, but it also shows what we can achieve when we work together,” Balding said.
“More than 80% of the premises we visited had issues with illegal products. That’s a significant figure, and with the intelligence we continue to gather, we expect that proportion to rise.
“But our work doesn’t stop here. We’re committed to identifying those higher up the chain and ensuring they face justice.”
Councillor Mark Durham, Cabinet Member responsible for Trading Standards at Essex County Council, praised the joint effort.
“This result sends a clear message to illicit tobacco and vape sellers that we will work with partners to act on intelligence and crack down on the trade.
“These products are not only illegal, they’re often unsafe and sold to children. I want to thank our Trading Standards officers and partners for their hard work. They are helping keep people safe and protect local businesses,” Durham said.