Over 21,000 illegal cigarettes seized in one day during Perth crackdown

The haul of cigarettes, vapes and rolling tobacco is worth over £17,000.

By Kieran Webster

March 21 2024, 4:42pm

A sniffer dog helped find the illicit products. Image: Perth and Kinross Council

More than 21,000 illegal cigarettes were seized in a single day during a Perth city centre crackdown.

Counterfeit cigarettes, vapes and rolling tobacco worth over £17,000 were confiscated throughout earlier this week.

The crackdown was part of a joint operation involving Perth and Kinross Council’s trading standards team, Police Scotland and Consumer Protection Dogs UK.

A pile of seized cigarettes. — Over 21,000 illegal cigarettes were seized. Image: Perth and Kinross Council

The value of the products resulted in a loss to the Treasury in duty of £11,477.

In total, 21,020 cigarettes, 900g of rolling tobacco and 118 vapes were seized on Tuesday.

Fake cigarettes ‘support criminal gangs’

Perth and Kinross housing and wellbeing committee convenor Tom McEwan said: “Smoking is a major cause of cardiovascular and respiratory disease and illegal tobacco is even more dangerous, as they may contain toxins that do not conform to our quality standards.

“The trade in illicit and illegal tobacco not only supports criminal gangs but it deprives the Treasury of VAT revenue.

“Our officers will continue to work with partners to stop the sale of illegal and illicit tobacco products in our stores.”