From: Nottingham Post
BAILS of tobacco worth £250,000 were found near a village as part of a crackdown on counterfeit cigarettes in Notts.
Police and trading standards officers found the 24 bails dumped by a road in Cossall and later linked them to a rented house in Wynndale Drive, Sherwood.
They then searched the house on September 24 and found evidence of a major counterfeit cigarette operation there.
The finds are the latest in an operation launched in June by Community Protection, an organisation involving Notts Police and Nottingham City Council, to tackle “fag houses”, where fake cigarettes are made and sold.
Jane Bailey, Community Protection’s trading standards manager, said: “This is a major blow to the organised crime group that were undoubtedly behind this operation.
“People in the Wynndale Road area reported seeing vans coming and going from the address on a frequent basis.
“The occupants were only using the house for a few months. If any member of the public suspects that any premises are being used in this way they are encouraged to contact Trading Standards.”
So far 12 raids have been carried out and 14 arrests made after tip-offs from the public. No arrests have yet been made in connection with the tobacco bails and operation uncovered last month.
Councillor Alex Norris, the city council’s portfolio holder for community safety said: “We’ve received an excellent response to our campaign and would encourage citizens to continue to help us crackdown on this crime.”
