£100k of counterfeit tobacco goods found in flat

The products found included 5,525 packets of illegal cigarettes

Officers have seized about £116,000 of counterfeit goods, including thousands of packets of cigarettes, after searching a flat.

Staffordshire Police said the search of the flat in Stoke-on-Trent took place after two Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) patrolling around Market Street, Longton, saw three men acting suspiciously on 1 September.

The men were searched which led to the discovery of a large amount of fake cigarettes.

Working with the council's trading standards team, the flat search then uncovered 5,225 illicit cigarettes, about 900 packets of illicit tobacco and 484 illegal vapes.

The cigarettes were worth an estimated £94,000, the tobacco about £18,000 and the vapes about £4,000, police added.

Insp Rebecca Price, of the Staffordshire force, said: "These items are often used by organised crime groups to fund criminal activity and can pose serious health risks to local communities."

Amjid Wazir, the council's cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability, said the sale of illegal tobacco and vapes would not be tolerated in Stoke-on-Trent.

He said the work was part of the authority's commitment to creating a cleaner and safer city.

"The message we are sending out is clear - you will face serious consequences if you choose to sell illegal products," he said.