Illegal vapes and cigarettes worth £60,000 seized

Officers uncovered hundreds of packs of cigarettes, tobacco and vapes in Clacton

More than £60,000 worth of illegal vapes and tobacco products have been seized by a police force over two weeks.

Essex Police said it targeted a number of businesses across the county and confiscated 98,500 cigarettes, 47.5kg (105Ilbs) of hand-rolling tobacco, 3,141 vapes and more than £6,000 in cash.

It said it found many items hidden in compartments and bins to avoid detection.

It was part of a national operation to target cash-based money laundering and illegal trade.

The operation focused on identifying criminal activity within High Street businesses, using intelligence, inspections, and enforcement to disrupt organised crime

The force worked with Essex County Council Trading Standards, Border Force and HM Revenue and Customs, as part of Operation Machinize.

It went to businesses in Clacton, Colchester, Harlow, Chelmsford, Basildon, Braintree, Witham, Harwich, Thorpe-le-Soken, Walton-on-the-Naze and Jaywick.

On 8 October it went to four premises in Clacton and uncovered hundreds of packs of cigarettes, tobacco and vapes in hidden compartments and a bin.

When officers were in Braintree on 15 October, they also discovered many illegal items and a vehicle filled with illegal cigarettes.

All the items found in Clacton were seized

Det Ch Insp Terry Balding said: "This sends a clear message to criminals - those exploiting legitimate businesses for illegal gain will be found and prosecuted.

"Our work with partners on disrupting organised crime in this way goes on year-round, identifying the groups and where they may seek to launder their money and hide their offending.

"More than 80% of the premises visited had issues regarding the sale of these illegal products – with the further intelligence we've gathered that number will only increase."

Premises in the Braintree district were raided on 15 October and a vehicle was found full of illegal cigarettes