£36,000 Worth of Illegal Tobacco Seized During Police Vehicle Stop

A large quantity of illegal tobacco with an estimated retail value of £36,000 has been seized following a vehicle stop in Cornwall.

The seizure took place on Tuesday 20th January after one of the armed response officers from St Austell Police stopped a car during patrols.

Armed response stop leads to seizure

Police confirmed the stop resulted in the discovery of a significant amount of illegal or illicit tobacco. The tobacco was described as smuggled, non duty paid or counterfeit.

Links to organised crime highlighted

According to police, illicit tobacco is known to fund organised crime groups. These groups are linked to offences including money laundering, drug supply and modern slavery.

Police praise proactive work

The force praised the proactive work of their armed response colleagues following the seizure.