Illegal cigarette sales fund crime, meeting told

The sale of counterfeit cigarettes in Bradford helps fund organised crime, people trafficking and illegal immigration, councillors have been told.

Officers from West Yorkshire Police and Trading Standards told a meeting of Bradford Council's licensing panel that some illegal cigarettes sold across Britain had been found to contain animal faeces and asbestos.

However, officers said some people believed the sellers of counterfeit tobacco to be "Robin Hood" figures because of the cost of cigarettes.

Jason Bethell from West Yorkshire Trading Standards told the meeting: "It's a massive problem. The regular price of a packet of cigarettes is £17. These shops sell them for £3 or £5."

"A lot of that money [from legitimate cigarettes] goes to the Treasury – it funds police and hospitals," Bethell said.

"One of the main reasons for this cost is to deter people from smoking because it's really harmful."

The council stripped two Bradford businesses of their alcohol licenses for selling illicit tobacco shortly before Christmas, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Bethell said shops selling counterfeit cigarettes also took business away from legitimate retailers.

This has led to lawful shops closing down while a glut of illegal shops open in their place, he said.

He added that slave labour was used in the production of illicit tobacco smuggled in to the UK from other countries.

"They're totally unregulated," he said.

"It has been in the news about counterfeit tobacco containing rabbit droppings, carbon fibres and asbestos.

"But smoking is so bad for you already – there are already about 400 poisons in a cigarette – so having an extra one in doesn't make that much of a difference."

PC Kevin Ward from West Yorkshire Police said: "People think selling cheap cigarettes is akin to being like Robin Hood. They think it is a victimless crime.

"You all see the comments online, people say 'How can we afford cigarettes if you close down these shops?'

"Investigations find these cigarettes are funding organised crime, people trafficking and illegal immigration."

He said the issue also made it harder for people to stop smoking and easier for young people to start, leading to more preventable deaths.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.