Trading Standards target illicit tobacco

Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Trading Standards team took part in an operation this month targeting premises selling illicit or counterfeit tobacco in the Bank Top area.

The operation took place in this area due to intelligence suggesting illicit tobacco was being sold in the area.

Part of a North West initiative run by several Local Authorities in the region, two teams each including Trading Standards Officers, a dog handler and a trained tobacco “sniffer” dog visited several premises and a quantity of tobacco was seized.

This will now be sent away for testing, following which a decision will be made whether to take further formal action.

Cllr Yusuf Jan-Virmani, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Housing and Customer Services said:

It is important to take action on the illegal trading of cigarettes, as they encourage our young people to take up smoking, as well as increase the health risks for consumers due to them not being subject to product and ingredient checks.