Illegal tobacco ‘being sold at pocket money prices in Wales

ILLEGAL tobacco sold at “pocket money prices” is available across Wales, an investigation has found. S4C’s current affairs programme Y Byd ar Bedwar will tonight examine the trade in illegal tobacco, estimated to account for 15% of all the tobacco sold in Wales – the highest proportion throughout any nation or region in the UK.

There are also fears the trade in illegal tobacco could be funding organised crime both here in Wales and throughout the UK.

The programme followed trading standards officials as they conducted raids to take illegal tobacco products off the streets in Powys and Cardiff.

In Powys, a raid on a house found illegal tobacco worth more than £1,000, while on the capital’s streets illegal tobacco worth more than £5,000 was found in five newsagent stores.

In one shop, a hiding place was found in a hole in a wall hidden behind a bathroom mirror.

Clive Jones, head of Powys Trading Standards, said: “Over the last five years, we’ve found increasing criminality involved in the sale of illegal tobacco, with organised crime gang involvement in the sale. Those gangs aren’t just based in Powys, they’ve got links nationwide. It’s organised criminality stretching over other parts of the UK. Monies aren’t staying locally, it’s being spread around. It’s a surprise in an area where, until around five years ago, we didn’t really see this to be a problem.”

Illegal cigarettes are reported to have caused at least eight deaths in the UK. Campaigner Julie Grant, who is from Boston, Lincolnshire, lost her mother in a house fire six years ago. June Buffham had been smoking an illegal cigarette when she fell asleep in her chair. Contrary to EU law, the cigarette did not have the self-extinguishing feature which is now required, resulting in a devastating fire.

Mrs Grant told Y Byd ar Bedwar: “I don’t believe anybody buying them knows what they’re buying. Most smokers believe they are buying regular cigarettes.

“What I feel they don’t know is the contents of the cigarettes, which from reports I’ve read can be anything from rat droppings to asbestos. But they’re also not aware of the fire safety risks.”

Despite the risks posed by the products, journalists were able to purchase illegal cigarettes from newsagent stores in Cardiff. They entered nine premises and were sold illegal cigarettes in two stores. The cheapest pack of “Jin Ling” cigarettes – an unknown brand probably originating in Russia – cost £3. A legitimate packet of 20 cigarettes costs around £8 to £12.

The Welsh Government has set a target of lowering the number of smokers here from 19% of the population to 16% by 2020. But, according to anti-smoking charity Ash Cymru chief executive Suzanne Cass, illegal tobacco sales undermine measures put in place to lower the number of smokers in Wales.

She said: “It’s sold at pocket money prices and we know that children are accessing the illegal tobacco. We’re hoping that we’re going to be able to inform a programme of development around tackling illegal tobacco in Wales. In places like the north-east and south-west of England, these campaigns have already taken place and been successful.”

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Ash Wales was commissioned by Welsh Government to scope a possible programme on illegal tobacco as highlighted in the Tobacco Control Delivery Plan for Wales 2017-20. We are considering the draft report and a decision will be made later this year.”

■ Y Byd ar Bedwar: Dan y Cownter is on tonight at 9.30 pm on S4C. English-language subtitles available.