Crackdown on fake cigarettes
A crackdown on counterfeit tobacco sales in under way across England.
There are concerns that the fakes often contains foreign bodies such as rat droppings and sawdust; and that profits are being used to fund large-scale organised crime including terrorism.
Trading Standards officers are taking to the streets to tackle this problem and are warning anyone selling counterfeit or smuggled tobacco that it is illegal and they could face heavy fines, or jail.
Nottinghamshire:Man arrested after Nottinghamshire cigarette raid - BBC News
A 52-year-old man has been arrested after the seizure of thousands of counterfeit cigarettes.
Police officers and trading standards officers raided a residential property in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, after a tip-off.
More than 20,000 cigarettes and 10kg (22lbs) of rolling tobacco were found.
Hastings:Six held in fake cigarette raids - BBC News
Six people have been arrested and fake and smuggled cigarettes worth thousands of pounds seized in police raids on shops in East Sussex.
A total of 140,000 cigarettes and thousands of packets of hand rolling tobacco were seized in the raids.
Police said the goods, which were seized from four shops and one residential address in Hastings and St Leonards, were worth about £30,000.
Two shops were closed down for suspected breaches of fire regulations.
It follows a BBC South East investigation (includes video) in which covert filming uncovered an illegal trade in cigarettes and tobacco taking place in four stores in Hastings.
