Joint Operation to Disrupt Illegal Tobacco Trade Carried Out in Doncaster

Led by the council’s Tobacco and Alcohol team — and conducted in partnership with South Yorkshire Police, the Regional Organised Crime Unit, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Immigration Enforcement and His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) — this activity was carried out under a national initiative known as Operation CeCe. The ultimate goal was to disrupt the illicit tobacco market by seizing any fraudulent cigarettes and vapes found, while also arresting the criminals responsible for the sale and distribution of these unsafe products in Doncaster.

Eight premises were raided, and five arrests were made as a result of the multi-agency operation. If found guilty, those prosecuted here could face up to 10 years in prison and an unlimited fine.

Meanwhile, an estimated £160,000 worth of illicit and-or counterfeit products — with a street value of £42,000 — have been confiscated from the raided premises. This seizure was comprised of 160,000 cigarettes (equivalent to 8,000 packets), alongside 52kg of hand roll tobacco, and over 1,000 counterfeit vapes.

Speaking about the successful outcomes, Glyn Jones, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Environment, Housing and Safer Communities at City of Doncaster Council, said: “Counterfeit tobacco products pose a serious health risk to the public, are often linked to organised crime rings, and can cause difficulties for honest business owners who actually respect the law.  That is why we have zero-tolerance for their sale or distribution in any way in our city and will always take proactive steps to disrupt these illegal activities.

“Acting on reliable intelligence, our Trading Standards team have put in a lot of hard work behind the scenes, and I would like to thank the various partners involved in this operation, including the police, HMRC colleagues, and various enforcement teams for their contributions. Thanks to their efforts, we have disrupted a harmful illegal market in Doncaster and managed to keep some unsafe products off the streets.”

Chief Inspector Joe Hunt said: “This type of criminality is often linked to organised crime groups responsible for bringing fear, violence and harm to our local communities.

“We will continue to work alongside partners to target those involved in these types of crime and keep our neighbourhoods and the people who reside in them safe from harm.”

If members of the public suspect a trader is acting illegally, they can report information directly to Trading Standards by calling the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 080 8223 1133.

Meanwhile, for more information about the ongoing partnership work being done by City of Doncaster Council and South Yorkshire Police to keep our city centre safe, please visit https://www.yourlifedoncaster.co.uk/safer-city