Bensham and Newcastle raids find cigarettes in jigsaw boxes

Thousands of cigarettes were found in locations including a car

Officers on Tyneside have seized £70,000 worth of suspected illegal items, including a haul of cigarettes hidden inside jigsaw boxes.

Northumbria Police joined forces with trading standard teams for a series of raids in Bensham and Newcastle.

Convenience stores, a disused barber shop, a self-storage container and a car were targeted.

Almost 80,000 cigarettes, 35kg of hand rolling tobacco and 180 non-compliant vapes were recovered.

Thirty bottles of spirits, 20 boxes of fireworks and £2,000 cash was also seized.

Tobacco detection dogs were involved in the operation

An investigation into the items has been launched by trading standards and at this time they are all believed to be illegal.

The clampdown is the latest carried out as part of Operation Vienna, which brings police and partners in the local authority closer together to tackle crime and act on intelligence in real time.

Insp Kevin Ashurst from Northumbria Police described the seizures as a "prime example of what the team continues to achieve, thanks to the trust they have built up".

Cigarettes were found inside jigsaw boxes

Alice Wiseman, Gateshead's director of public health, said: "Selling illegal tobacco is not a victimless crime. It makes smoking more accessible to adults and children alike through cheap prices and lack of regulation.

"To add to this, many people who buy illegal tobacco simply see it as a way to save money and don't realise that they could be funding serious international organised crime.

"Seizures like these disrupt supply chains and could ultimately save lives, not just here in the North East but globally."

Fireworks were also seized