Raids on retailers in Stenhousemuir, Grangemouth and Falkirk have led to the seizure of more than 30,000 illegal and dangerous cigarettes.
Falkirk Council’s Trading Standards team were assisted by Police Scotland officers and specialist sniffer dogs Boo and Rosie.
The cigarettes taken were either counterfeit or so-called “cheap white” with an estimated retail value of £34,500.
Unlike legal cigarettes, cheap whites are not designed to self-extinguish if left burning making them a greater fire risk.
In addition to the cigarette haul, 14 kilograms of hand-rolling tobacco was also removed from the stores. One retailer had hidden the goods in a purpose-built secret cupboard located in its stockroom.
The seizures, which took place during a two week period over September and October, were part of Operation Cece, a UK-wide crackdown on illegal tobacco run jointly by Trading Standards and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
As well as reporting suspected offences to the Procurator Fiscal, Trading Standards can refer cases to HMRC under the Tobacco Products (Traceability and Security Features) Regulations 2019.
Cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco must carry unique identifiers under these rules. Where this is not the case, HMRC can impose penalties of up to £10,000 for a first offence.
Councillor Stacey Devine, spokesperson for Public Protection, said: “Our Trading Standards officers continue to act on intelligence to remove illegal tobacco from our communities.
“These products are harmful, undermine legitimate businesses, and pose a greater risk to public safety as you often have no idea what they contain.”
