Manufacturer asks MPs for greater effort in battle against fake tobacco

The manufacturer gave evidence to the UK parliament this week on the scale of the illegal trade and asked for stronger powers and additional funding for trading standards departments to tackle the issue.

Test purchasing undertaken for JTI has gathered evidence on 95 stores in north-west England selling illegal cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco and vapes.

This is the first time vaping products have been included in these test-purchasing activities.

Counterfeit versions of a JTI hand-rolling tobacco brand were found for £4, compared with a retail price of £29.

Each of these packs would have lost the government £20 in tax, says JTI.

One of the shops caught had been selling illicit products since 2015.

Ian Howell, fiscal and regulatory affairs manager at JTI, said: “While Border Force prevents the smuggling of illicit tobacco into the country and HMRC conducts large-scale operations that can lead to the uncovering of major illegal manufacturing sites, it is trading standards that undertake the lion’s share of enforcement action on the UK’s high streets.

“Unfortunately, despite efforts such as Operation CeCe or the Keep It Out campaign, trading standards is overwhelmed by the scale of the problem.

“They do not have access to easy-to-apply, hard-hitting financial sanctions that would help tackle the persistent actions of rogue retailers who are currently undeterred.”

Among other measures, JTI would like trading standards to be able to retain the money raised through current penalties to re-invest in the battle against the illegal trade.

Howell said: “Selling illicit tobacco and vaping products puts retailers at risk of prosecution and negatively impacts their store in the community, which is why we created JTI’s ‘Don’t be Complicit’ campaign to raise awareness and give them the resources to combat this illegal trade.”