Police and Trading Standards officers seize illegal cigarettes hidden behind tiled wall in Skegness

The illicit cigarettes were discovered concealed within a tiled wall at a premises in Lumley Road, Skegness, and were seized by officers during a series of visits to retail and food premises, say Lincolnshire Police.

The discovery was part of ongoing efforts to tackle the sale of illegal tobacco products and associated crime. “These products can undermine legitimate businesses and contribute to wider criminal networks,” said a police spokesperson.

The visits took place in locations across East Lindsey on Friday, August 21 when officers were joined by a specialist tobacco sniffer dog.

At a second premises, a few sleeves of counterfeit tobacco were located at a café in Grosvenor Road, which were allegedly being sold to customers, say police.

The operation was one of two coordinated activities taking place across the county in recent days, bringing together partner agencies.

Skegness Neighbourhood Policing Sergeant Katie Moore said: "These enforcement days are about far more than the activity people see on the day. They are the result of ongoing work taking place in the background, with officers and partner agencies gathering intelligence, responding to community concerns, and identifying locations where criminality may be taking place.

"The seizure of illicit cigarettes hidden within the wall at one premises demonstrates the lengths some individuals will go to conceal illegal goods. By working together with Trading Standards and other partners, we can disrupt this activity, protect legitimate businesses, and help keep our communities safe.

"We will continue to carry out this work across East Lindsey and the wider county, using information from the public and our partners to target those involved in criminal activity and make our neighbourhoods safer for everyone."

Coun Alex McGonigle, executive councillor for community safety at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We continue to work with Lincolnshire Police to stamp down on the rogue traders who put profit before the health and safety of local people.

“Critically, illegal cigarettes lack the capability to self-extinguish when left unattended. In bypassing this vital safety feature, they have caused house fires that have killed people in Lincolnshire.

“Not only that, the premises themselves contribute to anti-social behaviour and are often a front for other serious crimes. They also have a damaging effect on the local economy – undercutting hardworking local businesses and avoiding the taxes that contribute towards vital public services.

“If you have any information about the sale of these illegal products, please report it. Your intelligence is a vital part of our enforcement activity and helps us to keep Lincolnshire’s communities safe.”