A North Shields shop has been ordered to close temporarily after a Trading Standards raid discovered fake cigarettes on the premises.
The Ali Baba shop on Nile Street must close for three months after Trading Standards officers from North Tyneside Council found fake cigarettes on the premises and in vehicles parked nearby on five occasions. The council was granted a three-month closure order by North Tyneside Magistrates’ Court - the first time the council has used a closure order to tackle the supply of illicit tobacco.
Trading Standards have also seized £50,000 worth of illegal tobacco products from a property in Howdon as part of a separate ongoing investigation. Northumbria Police executed a warrant backed by Trading Standards officers, which uncovered 50,000 illicit cigarettes and 540 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco.
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Councillor Carole Burdis, Cabinet Member for Crime and Community Safety said: “The supply of illicit tobacco has a detrimental effect to local communities. Half of all long-term smokers will die from a smoking-related disease, so we need to make sure that children and young people are not attracted to or get hooked on tobacco.
"The trade in illicit tobacco doesn’t care whether children and young people suffer from the social, health, or economic effects smoking causes. Illicit cheap tobacco undermines price as one of the key drivers to bring down smoking rates, honest businesses cannot compete with illegal tobacco sellers and attracts criminality to neighbourhoods.”
The council hopes that the action will send a message that such criminal activity will not be tolerated in the borough and has pledged to crack down on any business or individual involved. Enforcement action will be taken including the further use of closure orders.
Northumbria Police Inspector Jennifer Scott said: “This is a fantastic result and we are pleased to have helped to take these illegal goods off the streets. Some people may think the selling of counterfeit goods is a victimless crime, but quite often it can be a product of organised crime.
“Groups can supply them into the region with the intention of making money, which enables them to continue to fund illicit activities. This joint operation with North Tyneside Council reinforces our commitment to tackling this type of crime across our communities.”
If you are aware of any ongoing sale or supply of illicit and counterfeit tobacco products, you can report it anonymously via the Keep-It-Out website at: https://keep-it-out.co.uk/anonymous-reporting/
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