Illegal tobacco
The illicit cigarette market consists of three types of products:
- Counterfeit: Brands that are popular in the UK are counterfeited and sold at a much cheaper price within the UK. Illegal counterfeiting factories can produce millions of cigarettes per day and require specialist machinery however are rarely found in the UK.
- Cheap White: these are produced legally but have little to no genuine market. They are suppled to smugglers who attempt to smuggle them into countries across the world avoiding payment of tax.
- Genuine/Smuggled: these are cigarettes made by the big tobacco manufacturers legally and produced in other countries that have a low duty rate. Organised Crime Groups obtain them and smuggle them into the UK avoiding paying taxes.
- The same applies to the Hand Rolling Tobacco market
The Organised Crime Groups that drive the illicit tobacco market are international. They will undoubtedly be involved in the smuggling of drugs, guns and even human trafficking. This is not a victimless crime.
What are the signs to Identify Illicit Tobacco?
- No “UK Duty Paid” mark
- Spelling mistakes and/or altered logos
- Unfamiliar brands, labelling or text
- Price, 20 cigarettes will cost less than £3.50
- Foreign or no health warnings/pictures
How to report the sale of Illicit Tobacco
Whilst we will accept anonymous reports it will help us to investigate if we have your name and contact details as we can then clarify any information. This will be confidential and will never be shared with the trader we investigate.
Ways to report the sale of Illicit Tobacco:
- Anonymous Reporting | Keep It Out - campaign website managed by Fresh with funding support from Local Authorities and the NHS
- Trading Standards email: trading.standards@iow.gov.uk
- Call Citizens Advice freephone Helpline 0808 223 1133
- Use the Citizens Advice consumer service online form. The online form is only available from 5pm on Fridays to 9am on Mondays.