Pandemic exposes the illegal tobacco market
A regional organisation has said that tight restrictions on international travel have exposed the reality behind the illegal tobacco market.
Concerns from the public about illegal tobacco sales have continued to be made during lock down, with Trading Standards receiving 139 NorthEast reports about dealers since the beginning of March.
The Keep It Out campaign from Fresh–adedicated-North-East region programme for tobacco control – is now in its 10th year.
In that time it has generated intelligence for Trading Standards, police forces and HMRC to take action against dealers in local communities and highlights the problems that illegal tobacco causes in getting more children hooked on smoking.
Enforcement officers are stressing that cheap tobacco bought during lockdown and touted as "duty free” is almost certainly illegal smuggled or fake tobacco.
Fresh says tobacco bought on the illegal market is more likely to be the result of organised criminal activity, with links to human trafficking, the drugs trade and loan sharks.
The illegal tobacco market is made up of three key types, which are as follows.
Ailsa Rutter OBE, director of Fresh, said: ““Our work with Trading Standards to reduce the amount of illegal tobacco on our streets has continued through lockdown because we know the market isn’t just about illegal duty free sales–it’ s a much bigger problem than that, with organised gangs selling smuggled tobacco to fund their criminal activities.”
All people need to do to anonymously report illegal tobacco sales is visit keep-it-out. co.uk or call 0300 9990000.
The information will be sent to Trading Standards and treated in complete confidence.