ILLEGAL alcohol, tobacco and thousands of cigarettes have been seized in Southend and Essex.

Customs officers swooped on businesses in Southend and Harlow and recovered more than 11,300 illicit cigarettes, 7 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco and 158 litres alcohol.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), with support from Essex Police, Essex Trading Standards and Southend Trading Standards visited about 16 retail premises and one storage depot suspected of selling or storing duty free tobacco and alcohol goods on 26 February 2015.

Investigators visited the business and retail outlets as part of HMRC’s Tobacco Taskforce activity, seizing tobacco and alcohol products from nine premises.

Officers seized:

• 11,360 cigarettes, including some hidden in a printer, with £2,091 duty and VAT evaded.

• 10.3 kilos of tobacco, with £1,596 duty and VAT evaded

• 158 litres of alcohol including spirits and wine, with £950 duty and VAT evaded.

Paul Barton, Assistant Director, Criminal Investigation, HMRC, said: “The sale of illegal tobacco will not be tolerated by us or our partner-agencies. Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit market, which costs the UK around £2.1 billion a year. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.

“We encourage anyone with information about the illegal sale of tobacco or alcohol to contact the Customs Hotline on 0800 59 5000.”

Detective Constable Richard Adams, Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “Essex Police assisted HMRC and Essex Trading Standards in a successful operation to tackle the sale and supply of illegal tobacco and alcohol in Harlow and Southend.

“This type of criminal activity will not be tolerated, and as well making profits for criminals, these products can also be potentially harmful to health. We will continue to work with HMRC and our partner agencies to tackle this issue.”

Roger Walters, councillor responsible for Essex Trading Standards said: “Those involved in the distribution of illegal tobacco may be encouraging people, including children, to smoke by providing a cheap source of unregulated cigarettes. Offenders need to know they will face consequences if they choose to deal in these illegal products.

“We are also concerned about counterfeit alcohol and tobacco in general as they do not comply with any safety regulations and there are no guarantees. We will continue to work in partnership to protect consumers and retailers.”

Investigations are ongoing.