ILLICIT BACCY DEALERS SEE PROFITS GO UP IN SMOKE (From The Northern Echo)

ILLICIT BACCY DEALERS SEE PROFITS GO UP IN SMOKE

6:31pm Friday 30th September 2011 in Middlesbrough Community News By David Honeywell

The swoops last week were the latest phase of an on-going crackdown against a trade which makes an already lethal habit even more dangerous.

Middlesbrough Council’s Trading Standards officers, working alongside colleagues from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and Cleveland Police, have been gathering evidence against the people running ‘tobacco houses’ for many months.

The criminals use anonymous residential addresses to peddle cut-price cigarettes, often to children and often in counterfeit brands which contain even high levels of chemicals and toxins than legal ‘over the counter’ products.

Last Thursday officers raided two houses in Pallister Park and Thorntree and seized 4,860 cigarettes and 775g of hand rolling tobacco.

John Wells, Operations Manager for Middlesbrough Council’s Public Protection department, said: “Once again these raids show that the majority of tobacco being sold from these tobacco houses is fake, not duty free.

“Tests carried out on previous seizures showed that fake tobacco contained an average of 63% more tar, up to three times as much cadmium, seven times as much arsenic and ten times as much lead, and gave off nearly 30% more carbon monoxide than genuine products.

“It is a real concern that young children are getting access to these cigarettes.

“We will therefore do everything in our power to stamp out this dangerous and exploitative trade.”

Councillor Brenda Thompson, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive Member for Public Health and Sport, said: “We already know smoking is dangerous, but these tobacco houses have become the main source of supply of tobacco to children.

“By condoning this practice people are condemning children to an early death.

“Evidence shows that the younger a smoker starts, the greater the risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease or disabling respiratory illness.”

A spokesman for HM Revenue & Customs added: “We will continue to work with our partners to stamp out the trade in illegal cigarettes and tobacco, in Middlesbrough and elsewhere.

“We urge people with information about illegal tobacco sales to continue to come forward so we can continue to tackle this lethal trade.”

• Anyone with information about illegal tobacco sellers can call Crimestoppers in confidence on 0800 555111. For more information about the effects of the illegal tobacco trade, visit www.get-some-answers.co.uk