High Street action uncovers £75k of illegal goods

Illegal goods were seized across high streets in Essex throughout October, including this find in Clacton-on-Sea

More than £75,000 worth of illegal tobacco and vapes were seized by officers during a High Street crackdown in October.

Essex Trading Standards staged the action with police at 36 shops across the county, including in Braintree, Basildon and Colchester.

The operation resulted in the seizure of 116,000 cigarettes, £43,000 worth of hand-rolling tobacco and 4,300 illegal vapes valued at £32,317.

Det Ch Insp Terry Balding said: "Our work doesn't stop here. We're committed to identifying those higher up the chain and ensuring they face justice."

Raids also took place in Clacton-on-Sea, Harlow, Wickford, Brentwood and Chelmsford, and led to £6,000 in cash and an uninsured vehicle being recovered by officers.

Essex Police said on 20 October that more than £60,000 of goods had been seized, but that total rose to £75,298 by the end of the month.

Non-compliant vapes were found stashed behind a wall at this shop in Brentwood

It was all part of Operation Machinize, which was launched by the National Crime Agency in response to reports of money laundering.

The operation targeting mini-marts, vape shops and barbers - among other firms - led to 920 people being arrested across the country.

Det Ch Insp Balding said more than 80% of premises visited in Essex had issues with illegal products.

"That's a significant figure and with the intelligence we continue to gather we expect that proportion to rise," he said.

"This operation sends a clear message: we will not tolerate the abuse of legitimate businesses to hide criminal activity."