Police find illegal cigs and vapes during raid in Bensham, Gateshead
The raid in the Bensham area of Gateshead last Thursday takes the total number of seizures recovered in the past 18 months over the GBP1million mark. Once inside the store, officers discovered a small storage area in the rear yard with a false wall. The room contained a total of 80,340 illegal cigarettes, 40kg of hand rolling tobacco and 232 illegal vapes.
Inspector Gillian Fenney-Menzies, from Northumbria Police, said: “This is another fantastic result for Operation Vienna and our continued thanks go to the community who provide information that helps up act immediately in uncovering this type of activity. “We have been able to seize a sizeable haul of illegal products and we will carry on working with our partners to respond to concerns from the public and take these harmful items out of circulation. “It also means that Operation Vienna has seized GBP1million-worth of illicit tobacco products in the past 18 months, which is a huge figure and testament to the work of our officers and those in Trading Standards departments at our local authority partners.”
This activity is the latest in a string of clampdowns carried out by the Vienna team, which was established a number of years ago and brings police and partners in the local authority closer together to tackle crime and disorder, and act on intelligence in real time. Insp Fenney-Menzies added: “People might not see the harm that these illicit products can cause, but we know that their proceeds are often reinvested into serious organised crime, which can fund more serious activity such as drug supply and even trafficking. “Residents should be assured that this is simply not something we will tolerate in our communities.
“If you do have any information about the supply and sale of suspected illegal tobacco, vapes and cigarettes in your area, please let us know so that we can take action.” Councillor Angela Douglas, chairperson of the Gateshead Community Safety Board, said: “Removing this quantity of illegal products from the streets is a great outcome for Gateshead and another example of the council and police working together to keep our communities safe. “Not only is illegal tobacco often linked to serious organised crime, it also makes smoking more accessible to children and creates addictions to a product that kills 2 in 3 long-term users.
“We’ll continue to take this issue extremely seriously and work with our partners to stamp out illegal sales.” Recommended reading: Get the latest news, sports, and entertainment delivered straight to your device with a subscription to The Northern Echo.
Click here[1] Anyone wanting to report a crime or suspicious activity can visit the ‘Report’ page on the Northumbria Police website or by calling 101. Alternatively, contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.