Crime: £84,000 of illegal cigarettes and vapes seized in Dewsbury and Ravensthorpe in series of co-ordinated crackdowns

West Yorkshire Police said enquiries remain ongoing today (Friday) by officers from Kirklees Police and West Yorkshire Trading Standards after authorities seized tens of thousands of cigarettes and products in a series of co-ordinated crackdowns.

Seven businesses across Dewsbury and Ravensthorpe were raided simultaneously by a joint team of 30 officers on Wednesday, November 26.

The crackdowns were part of ongoing work to cut sources of funding from criminal gangs.

In some of the businesses visited, a specially trained dog was used to sniff out hidden stashes of cigarettes and vapes.

The teams – which included officers from the Dewsbury town centre and neighbourhood policing teams – recovered more than 60,000 counterfeit cigarettes, 30kg of rolling tobacco, and hundreds of illegal vapes.

Colleagues from the Kirklees Police Catch and Control team and Kirklees Council licensing officers were also involved.

Last month, police in Kirklees joined West Yorkshire colleagues and national partners in a major crackdown on high street businesses suspected of laundering criminal cash. Throughout October, as part of Operation Machinize 2, officers executed search warrants at multiple addresses across West Yorkshire. Businesses under investigation included vape shops, barber shops, beauty parlours, corner shops, estate agents, cafés, sweet shops as well as professionals suspected of aiding the laundering process.

Around £2.7million of assets were seized force wide.

Sergeant George Rawlinson, of the Dewsbury Town Centre Team, said: “This was a large overall seizure of counterfeit goods totalling which would have an estimated total sale value of £84,000.

“Criminals and organised crime groups rely on counterfeit products to fund the illicit activities and lifestyles that plague our communities, so it is really important we do all we can to take these sources of revenue from them.

“I want to thank our colleagues from West Yorkshire Trading Standards and from within the force for their support in mounting what has been a large and successful operation.”

Inspector Mark Pattinson of Kirklees Police, said: “The sale of counterfeit tobacco is a crime which is far from harmless, both for the dangerous criminality it funds, and the risk to public health it poses.

“These counterfeit goods also pose significant harm to people’s health as they often contain untested and toxic materials.

“Investigations are now ongoing and we urge anyone who has information about the sale of illegal goods or ongoing organised crime in their communities to contact us or Crimestoppers.”

Information about criminal activity in Kirklees can be given via 101 or online at https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/livechat

It can also be given anonymously to the independent Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111