Three men have been arrested after a major operation in Broadgreen led to the seizure of large quantities of illegal and counterfeit tobacco, vapes and alcohol.
Wiltshire Police say the arrests followed the execution of several warrants on Tuesday morning (19 January) at five businesses in the Manchester Road area, along with a number of connected residential flats.
The operation involved officers and staff from multiple police departments working alongside Trading Standards, HMRC, Immigration Enforcement, the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit and the National Crime Agency.
During the searches, significant quantities of illicit tobacco and vapes were discovered, with police estimating the haul could be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds. Officers also uncovered thousands of pounds’ worth of goods concealed in hidden compartments within the flats.
In one property, vapes were found concealed inside a washing machine that was running at the time of the search. A chute linking a flat directly into a business premises was also identified and destroyed.
More than 50 boxes of alcohol were seized from one location that had previously lost its licence to sell alcohol, making it illegal for alcohol to be stored on the premises.
Three men were arrested on suspicion of selling counterfeit tobacco and were taken into custody for questioning.
Neighbourhood Inspector David Tippetts, from Swindon Central South, said the operation highlighted the scale of the issue locally.
“This has been a very successful morning, resulting in arrests and the seizure of potentially hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of illicit tobacco, vapes and alcohol,” he said.
“Selling illegal and counterfeit tobacco and vapes is not a victimless crime. It is closely linked to serious and organised crime, with profits often used to fund other illegal activity.
“It also undercuts legitimate businesses and costs the country millions of pounds each year, with much of that money ending up in the hands of overseas criminal networks.”
Inspector Tippetts also warned of the health and safety risks associated with counterfeit products.
“Illegal tobacco is not subject to the same quality controls, which can lead to harmful levels of tar or carbon monoxide. These products can also present an increased fire risk.
“This kind of enforcement is only possible because of information and intelligence provided by the community.”
Anyone with information about the smuggling, distribution or sale of illegal tobacco is urged to report it by calling 101, or anonymously through Trading Standards South West’s Report It service.
