Officers stub out sales of fake fags in Scunthorpe
BOOTLEG tobacco is posing a serious health risk to North Lincolnshire smokers - with more than one in three of the region's smokers admitting purchasing illegal smokes.
A report from Illegal Tobacco North has stated 34 per cent of smokers in North Lincolnshire have bought tobacco illegally, despite the figures from Cancer Research UK showing illegal tobacco kills four times more people than illegal drugs in the UK.
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FAG FORGERIES: Trading Standards officer Richard Copley uses the latest technology available to help reduce the amount of fake tobacco that is on Scunthorpe's streets. The pocket-sized device is able to scan a packet of cigarettes and identify the difference between legitimate and fake products. Picture: Dominic Romney
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FORGERIES: About 60,000 illegal and counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco were seized last year.
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Trading Standards officer Richard Copley uses the latest technology to test for fake cigarettes.
Trading standards has confirmed almost half of the illegal tobacco seized in the area is counterfeit, with HM Customs confirming ingredients for the tobacco have included insects, lead, and rat droppings.
Malcolm Osborne, trading standards manager for North Lincolnshire Council, said: "The percentage of counterfeit products is increasing, with currently 45 per cent of all goods seized being counterfeit.
"The sale of illicit tobacco can take place anywhere, including work places, pubs, vehicles and car boot sales.
"Despite huge seizures at ports and airports no one truly knows what amount of smuggled duty-free, low-duty paid or counterfeit cigarettes and rolling tobacco is getting through into the black economy."
For the full story, buy today's Scunthorpe Telegraph.
19 Comments
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by John, Scunny
Saturday, February 13 2010, 12:14PM
“>> Mark
You'll find that most of the 'Polish' Shops are owned by either Afghans or Kurds.
!!! "BOOTLEG tobacco is posing a serious health risk" !!!!.....
WTF !!!!! don't all cigarettes pose a serious health risk using by-products of the petroleum industry to bulk them out.
Simple answer don't smoke”
by Jim, Crosby
Saturday, February 13 2010, 12:07PM
“Mark
that would be a 'Racist' comment !
Seems like English must be your second language.”
by mark, scunny ENGLAND
Friday, February 12 2010, 9:10PM
“polish scum .Hope thats not a racial comment”
by anon, ashby
Friday, February 12 2010, 9:01PM
“these shops , if police do raid it would be classed as racial harassment and we can not have that.”
by zak, scunthorpe
Friday, February 12 2010, 8:58PM
“me no understand me get away with anything”
by hazel, scunthorpe
Friday, February 12 2010, 8:19PM
“It will be interesting to wait and see if the shops mentioned on here are raided, bet a pound to a penny no action is taken.”
by scunny girl, crosby
Friday, February 12 2010, 6:59PM
“the barbers shop on berkley st sells fags aswel, just send the polish back, seems they can get away with murder in britain, the government moan about lost revenue, well they dont really help themselves by letting them all in our country claim benefits, taking our jobs and they are starting to breed like rabbits so before long we will be out numbered”
by Amber, Leafy Scunny
Friday, February 12 2010, 5:37PM
“"I am told" Stamp out???
Hardly gonna hold up in court is it?
Chill out man! stress can be a killer.
People are just being enterprising, and following the honourable examples set by our MP's”
by Stamp Out This, Illegal Trade
Friday, February 12 2010, 5:16PM
“I am told the barbers shops on Frodingham Road do a roaring trade selling under the counter illegal cigarettes, make more from that than cutting hair. A lot of these cigarettes and booze are delivered by the dealers to OAP's to sell on to others for a small profit, these are usually the ones who claim they have never done a thing wrong in their lives, tax/customs duty avoidance, selling & distributing counterfeit smuggled goods, send undercover officers in to buy the products then confiscate the shop/home these are sold from as a way to recover lost taxes, tax on cigarettes is no different to tax on petrol and cars and they chase the avoiders of that, look at the effort they put into catching counterfeit dvd dealers and dvd's don't damage health or attract large amounts of lost tax compared to cigarettes and booze. Can they confiscate a car if illegat cigarettes or booze found in it?”
by fag, butt
Friday, February 12 2010, 4:07PM
“no worries fag ash lil! could tell you a few more if u like. i dont think ST or the police really care too much to do anything. i dont mind it getting raided if it means the english dealers get more custom!”