Illegal cigarettes and tobacco worth £250k seized

Officers discovered 16,254 packets of cigarettes and 708 packs of hand rolling tobacco worth an estimated £258,000 in a Kettering storage container

Illegal cigarettes and tobacco worth more than £250,000 have been seized during a raid at a storage facility.

Officers from Kettering's Neighbourhood Policing Team and North Northamptonshire Council's Trading Standards raided a storage unit in Kettering, after reports from the public.

More than 16,000 packets of cigarettes were seized, along with 708 packs of hand rolling tobacco.

PC James Batten, from Kettering's Neighbourhood Policing Team, said "this great result was made possible thanks to community intelligence".

The raid was carried out on 8 August following reports of a large amount of illicit tobacco being kept in a storage container.

PC Batten added: "When we receive reports like this, we work with the relevant partners to build up a picture of potentially illegal activity and take action against it.

"Illegal tobacco products may well be fake, and carry increased health risks, as well as often being linked to organised crime.

"I'd like to thank everyone who shared information with us – as this joint agency work shows, we will act on what you tell us to protect our communities and prevent and detect crime."