From: Better Retailing
EXCLUSIVE: First fake plain packs discovered, rogue retailers making “small fortune”
The first counterfeit plain packs of tobacco in the UK have been uncovered by Retail Express and trading standards departments.
Following a tip-off, Retail Express was sold a plain pack counterfeit of a premium brand by a London newsagent for £10.50. The retailer took a legitimate pack out of the gantry and swapped it out with a fake pack, while processing thecard transaction.
Doug Love, Hammersmith and Fulham Trading Standards officer warned: “The quality of the counterfeits is so good, unless you know what you are looking for it is incredibly difficult to spot.”
