20,000 illegal cigarettes seized as police and Trading Standards raid six Blackburn shops
Around 20,000 illicit cigarettes and a quantity of counterfeit goods have been seized during a joint operation in Blackburn involving neighbourhood police and Trading Standards.
As part of Lancashire Police’s Winter of Action campaign, officers from the Blackburn with Darwen Neighbourhood Policing Team carried out visits to six shops across the town alongside enforcement staff from Blackburn with Darwen Council.
The council’s specialist detection dog, Dora, assisted the teams during the checks.
The items were recovered on the day and Trading Standards officers have now launched a full investigation, with further enforcement action expected.
A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “This work is driven by community intelligence, and we want to thank everyone who continues to report suspicious activity to us.
“Your information makes a real difference and helps us keep our communities safe.
“If you have concerns about illegal activity in your area, please keep reporting it.”
If you have any concerns about crime in your area, call 101 or report it online at https://doitonline.lancashire.police.uk/.
Independent charity Crimestoppers can also be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Always call 999 in an emergency.