Illegal vapes and cigarettes worth £200k seized across Lancashire in major police crackdown
Police have seized almost £200,000 worth of illicit cigarettes and vapes, arrested six people and temporarily closed several businesses following a series of raids across Lancashire.
The action was carried out as part of Operation Wanderstar, a county-wide crackdown on businesses flouting trading laws.
Officers visited 22 premises in recent weeks, seizing counterfeit cash, freezing bank accounts linked to suspected money laundering and recovering thousands of pounds in cash.
Three shops were temporarily shut down following the raids.
Working alongside Lancashire Trading Standards, Immigration Enforcement, the Economic Crime Unit (ECU) and local neighbourhood policing teams, officers executed warrants in Nelson, Blackburn, Oswaldtwistle, Lancaster, Morecambe and Preston throughout October.
Among the discoveries were hidden stashes of counterfeit tobacco, sophisticated concealment compartments and even a machete found at one Nelson shop.
- At The American Sweet Shop, Railway Road, Nelson, police seized more than £120,000 of illegal tobacco and cigarettes over two visits. A closure notice has since been served and remains in place.
- At 7 Days Blackburn Ltd, officers found 14,000 packets of counterfeit cigarettes and 3kg of illicit tobacco, some hidden behind shop fittings.
- In Preston, warrants at Preston Saver and Ezee Shop, both in New Hall Lane, uncovered £18,000 of illegal cigarettes and vapes.
- A bank account linked to one Preston business containing £300,000 has been frozen, while a separate account holding £14,000 was also blocked pending investigation.
In total, six arrests were made for offences including participation in fraudulent business, possession of criminal property, immigration offences and weapon possession.
Detective Inspector Libby Wadsworth, from Lancashire Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “This work is about targeting those businesses who seek to flout the law for their own financial gain.
“Not only are they harming legitimate businesses, they are also putting their customers at risk by trying to pass off inferior products as the real thing.
“The ECU alongside our NHP teams have been working with our partners at Lancashire Trading Standards and Immigration Enforcement were we have taken significant action to disrupt this illegal activity across the county.
“This work will continue and if you have any concerns about illegal activity in your area, report it to the police and we will take the appropriate action.”
Coun Joshua Roberts, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for Rural Affairs, Environment and Communities, said: “Action was taken at 22 businesses across Nelson, Blackburn, Oswaldtwistle, Lancaster, Morecambe and Preston and illicit cigarettes and vapes worth almost £200,000 were seized.
“This sends out a very strong message that we will continue to work with partners to take robust enforcement action against traders who continue to break the law.
Operation Wanderstar falls under the National Crime Agency’s Operation Machinize, a nationwide campaign to disrupt cash-based money laundering.
Anyone with concerns about illegal tobacco or vapes can contact Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133, or report anonymously to Lancashire Police online at doitonline.lancashire.police.uk or by calling 101.