Expert reveals widespread availability of illicit tobacco in Nottinghamshire shops. Secret buys expose fake and smuggled goods.
A tobacco company, JTI, checked shops secretly to see how easy it was to buy illegal products. Investigators bought twenty-five products in November. They checked shops in certain Nottingham postcodes.
The analysis of the products was released in February and the findings showed a shocking situation. JTI investigators also monitored purchases in Hyson Green. JTI’s Ian Howell expected to discover illegal items.
Buying twenty-five illegal products showed a real problem. He believes they could have bought even more because both fake and smuggled goods were readily available. A 50g pack of fake tobacco cost about £5, with their most expensive buy costing £7.
JTI’s cheapest legal 50g tobacco costs £36.50 by comparison. Amber Leaf tobacco was the most common purchase. They bought fourteen packs, but twelve were fake; these cost about £5 or £6, while the real price is £42.
They also bought fake and smuggled cigarettes. These usually cost about £4 per pack, unlike legal cigarettes, which cost around £11.50 to £12. Illegal vapes with huge puff counts were also found, claiming up to 22,000 puffs.
Legal vapes should only have about 600 puffs. The researchers placed each purchase into evidence bags for lab testing. Fake vapes seem cheaper because of their high puff count. These items are often easily accessible, and sellers don’t often ask questions.
These illicit goods get to the shops in different ways, such as vans supplying illegal goods or being hidden in food shipments. Holidaymakers also smuggle them in suitcases.
JTI has shared these findings with Trading Standards. Nottingham is not the worst place for illegal tobacco, but the problem remains significantly large. Mr. Howell hopes recent raids taught sellers a lesson.
Sadly, many sellers reappear after being caught, but the county hopes this action will deter further sales. Councillor Wheeler said fake tobacco hurts everyone. It deprives the country of tax money, which funds vital services like the NHS, and it also undermines public health campaigns.
He noted illegal cigarettes are a fire risk because they often do not self-extinguish. Trading Standards continues to combat illegal tobacco sales. He urges people to report illegal sales.