£2,000,000 worth of illegal cigarettes and tobacco destroyed in Council crackdown

Officers from the Council’s Trading Standards and Humberside Police seized the goods, with a value of £300,000, during recent inspections at shops across North East Lincolnshire.

Working in partnership, the joint approach has helped benefit the nationwide police initiative called Operation CeCe, launched in 2022, which works towards removing these goods from the streets.

In three years, North East Lincolnshire has destroyed nearly 2 million illegal cigarettes and vapes as well as over 620 kilograms of illicit rolling tobacco with a total legitimate value of £2,000,000.

By law, vapes should have an internal tank capacity of no more than 2ml, and the level of nicotine contained in the vaping fluid should not exceed 20mg/ml (or 2 per cent). Additionally, since June 1 2025, vapes must be refillable, rechargeable and the coil, which heats the liquid to produce the vapour, must also be easily replaceable by the user. Failure to comply with any one of those requirements would mean the vape is illegal under The Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Regulations.

As with tobacco products, these items are required to display certain health warnings and every such device, and the liquid it contains, should be registered with the MHRA (Medicines and Health care products Regulatory Agency) prior to being released onto the market.

“While it is great to see that we are taking these products off the streets, we understand there is more work to do,” said Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities.

“Operation CeCe and the partnership work with Humberside Police has allowed us to take great steps forward in ensuring these products are less readily available, but that doesn’t mean we stop.

“We know there are more sellers of these products and I want those people to know that our teams will continue with these inspections to ensure the safety of those living in North East Lincolnshire.”

 Councillor Stan Shreeve, Portfolio Holder for Health and Adult Social Care, added: “When you buy these products, you could be putting your own health at risk. Not only has no duty been paid on them but they’ve not been tested to ensure they’re safe.

“Additionally, I urge smokers in our region to use the support services on offer to help them to quit smoking.

“We have so many examples of people turning their lives around completely after quitting smoking with support from the Wellbeing Team, and you only have to look at the figures released today to see what a positive impact that could have for everyone.”

To report the sale of illicit tobacco products, email trading.standards@nelincs.gov.uk or call (01472) 326299, option 3.

For more information on how to quit smoking, visit https://www.nelincs.gov.uk/health-wellbeing-and-social-care/health-and-wellbeing/stop-smoking/