More than 1.7 million banned cigarette products have been seized in Lincolnshire since 2023, new figures show.
Given that the region has a population of just 750,000, that’s more than two illegal products being found for every single person here.
The contraband was uncovered by officers from Lincolnshire Trading Standards working with Lincolnshire Police, immigration enforcement officials and sniffer dogs.
Councillor Alex McGonigle, executive lead for community safety, said: “Every single illegal cigarette sold puts a person’s life at risk.
‘’While removing 1.7 million of them is a brilliant result, we are not stopping there and will continue to work with Lincolnshire Police to stub out the sale of these unsafe products.’’
Nicotine products are declared illegal if they cannot adhere to the safety standards such as failing to self-extinguish if not continuously smoked.
Residents can anonymously report cases of suspected illegal tobacco sales on Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111 or provide information online at: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information
