Revealed: Full extent of illegal tobacco trade laid bare in Express & Star probe
The Express & Star today exposes the full scale of the illegal tobacco market in the Black Country.
Our undercover investigators have visited dozens of local shops and found 25 out of 27 prepared to sell cheap and untaxed cigarettes and counterfeit tobacco.
When these samples were sent off for analysis, experts found they were made up of:
Rat droppings
Poisonous chemicals
Dead insects
Asbestos
One expert said smoking one of these cigarettes was as harmful as smoking 10 normal filter tips.
Today leading industry figures welcomed the Express & Star's exposure.
Mark Yexley, media relations manager for Japan Tobacco International (JTI), said: "The impact of the illicit trade in tobacco on society is far reaching and members of the public, retailers, suppliers and the Government all have a role to play to combat the issue.
"Criminals who deal in illegal tobacco will sell to all-comers, including children. JTI fully supports any efforts to rid our streets of illegal tobacco and stop criminals infiltrating our communities."
This trade is not only damaging to the national economy and people's jobs by attacking a legitimate industry, it is also exceptionally damaging to the health of those people who buy this tobacco thinking it is something else.
During the investigation we found cigarettes and loose tobacco being sold at under a third of the value the real products would cost.
Secretly-recorded footage shows how sales assistants needed little or no prompting to sell the dodgy goods.
The findings have been branded as 'absolutely shocking' by a leading Black Country MP.
Our evidence files will be passed on to the Trading Standards departments at local councils who have told us they will investigate on the intelligence gathered.
The illegal trade in tobacco is estimated to cost the UK taxman around £2 billion in unpaid duty.
Counterfeit and illicit cigarettes are manufactured all over the world in unregulated factories that adhere to no health and safety regulations or industry standards of hygiene.
It is estimated that 39 to 50 per cent of roll-up tobacco could be counterfeit.
Retailers caught selling loose cigarettes can be fined up to £1,000 while those selling un-taxed tobacco could be made to pay up to £5,000.
