Yahoo News 200 fake England shirts and 27,000 illegal cigarettes seized from North Tyneside property
An investigation has been launched after 200 fake England shirts and 27,000 illegal cigarettes were seized from a property in North Tyneside.
Officers from the North Shields Neighbourhood Policing Team (NPT) executed a warrant at an address in Meadow Well alongside North Tyneside Trading Standards Team. The raid follows reports within the community which suggested counterfeit goods were being sold from the property.
Inside, they discovered almost 200 suspected fake England football tops with a value of £17,000, along with 27,000 counterfeit and/or non-duty paid cigarettes and around 200 unlawful vapes. A large quantity of hand rolling tobacco was also seized.
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The cigarettes and vapes had a shared street value of around £19,600. James Younas, neighbourhood sergeant for North Shields, thanked those who had reported their concerns.
Sergeant Younas said: "We’re dogged in our approach to removing these illicit items from circulation. Our communities deserve better than that, and this is just one of many hauls of items we’ve seized in the last few months.
"These items might seem harmless, and you might be tempted to buy them, but we often see the sale linked to wider types of offending and, often, organised crime. With the European Championships starting today, we’d urge people to be careful and check you are buying merchandise from reputable sources."
An investigation into the seized items is ongoing alongside Trading Standards officers. Joanne Lee of North Tyneside Council, said: "All cigarettes are harmful and vapes are effective in helping people to quit smoking, but by purchasing non-compliant goods, buyers are putting themselves at greater risk.
"We are committed to working with the Police to crack down on these fraudulent activities and ensure that North Tyneside remains a safe place to live, work and visit. We encourage residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to help us combat this issue effectively."
