Grantham: Illegal tobacco stashes seized from shops' secret hides

The complexity of the hides showed "this was a professional enterprise", Trading Standards officers say

Thousands of illegal cigarettes were found stashed in secret hides in two shops in Grantham, Trading Standards officers have said.

More than 10,000 cigarettes, as well as hand-rolling tobacco, illegal vapes and amounts of cash, were seized from The Local Store and Baltic on Westgate.

Counterfeit goods were found in remotely controlled hides, behind mirrors and under the shops' floors.

It was the work of a "professional enterprise", Trading Standards said.

Principal Lincolnshire Trading Standards officer, Andy Wright, said many of the cigarettes seized did not include "vital safety features" which allowed them to self-extinguish when not being smoked, making them "a huge fire safety risk".

Some of the illegal vapes seized contained "way over the legal limit of nicotine", with some having "the same nicotine content as 150 cigarettes", Mr Wright said.

PC Mark Barr, from Grantham Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "Disrupting illegal activity through raids at stores where we think there may be counterfeit goods puts an almighty dent in the profits of criminal gangs."

The profits involved in selling what were "illegal and often dangerous, products" were "quite staggering", he added.

No arrests had been made as a result of the raids, Lincolnshire Police said.

Investigations were continuing, Trading Standards added.