Bootleg cigs seized after tip-off

Illegal and counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco were seized when a tip-off from worried residents led to a raid on a couple’s home.

Durham County Council’s Trading Standards team took legal action against Geoffrey Tait, 64, and Lucy Tait, 56, after a number of illegal tobacco products were found in their house.

The Trading Standards team had been receiving information that the pair were allegedly involved in the sale of tobacco for some time and in October 2019 a warrant of entry was executed at their home.

During the search, cigarettes and tobacco were found with packaging from a number of brands including JPS, Rothman, and Business Royal cigarettes and Amberleaf, Flandria, and Turner handrolling tobacco.

In total, 980 cigarettes and 5.75 kg of hand-rolling tobacco were seized.

When investigated, it was found that none of the products conformed to the current requirements of standardised packaging and, of the products seized, none had the required combined health warnings, except for the Rothman cigarettes.

A sample of the JPS cigarettes and Rothman cigarettes were sent to the trademark holders, which confirmed that all of the samples were counterfeit.

The pair were charged with possession of counterfeit cigarette and tobacco products that were in breach of a registered trademark, non-compliant with packaging regulations, and in breach of health warning provisions.

The couple, of The Avenue in Pity Me, Durham, pleaded guilty at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court and were fined £120, with £200 in costs.