Almost two million cigarettes seized in four years by Gloucestershire's Trading Standards
The team were helped by their array of sniffer dogs
Nearly two million illegal cigarettes have been seized in Gloucestershire over the last four years in a crackdown on smuggling.
Trading standards have worked with police, tax and immigration officers to seize just under 86,000 packs since 2021/22.
The Treasury loses out on around £1.8 billion to £2.2 billion a year in unpaid tax due to the illegal tobacco trade.
On top of that, 18,523 illegal vapes were seized during the same period, as well as 143 shishas.
Head of Trading Standards Jason Poole told a Gloucestershire County Council meeting in May: "“We procecuted a person and we found one million cigarettes."
Mr Poole said the number of illegal cigarettes seized is “staying steady” but said it is an issue.
He said: “This is an organised activity of criminality. Alongside that, our officers have found drugs, money laundering, immigration offences and even sometimes unfortunately exploitation of youngsters for nefarious purposes.”