More than £70,000-worth of illicit cigarettes, tobacco and alcohol was seized following a joint operation in Swindon.
On Tuesday of last week, officers from the Swindon Central South NPT, working with Swindon Borough Council’s Trading Standards team, HMRC, Immigration and the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) conducted an operation in Broadgreen.
Two retail premises were searched along with a residential premises nearby, resulting in the seizure of tens of thousands of pounds' worth of illicit cigarettes, tobacco and alcohol, plus a large amount of cash and a vehicle.
Two men, aged 29 and 28, were arrested on suspicion of money laundering and offences under the Trade Act.
The work is part of ongoing 'Brighter Broadgreen' work - a multi-agency project to make the area a better place for all.
Sgt Winter, based in Swindon, said: “This is organised crime and by buying these products people are putting cash into the hands of criminals.
“These same criminals are often linked to the exploitation of vulnerable people and people trafficking, which causes significant harm and is a blight on our communities.
“The neighbourhood team will continue to work with our partners to target these premises and disrupt their criminality.’’
Det Sgt Adrian Bray from SWROCU said: “Operations like this are about using the full range of powers available to us and our partners to disrupt organised criminals from hiding in plain sight.
“The value of the goods and bundles of cash seized shows the profits being made by criminals who will undoubtedly be involved in, or funding, other types of serious and organised crime, including exploiting vulnerable people.”
The force says the importance of community intelligence can’t be understated, and urges people with information on potential sales of counterfeit goods to get in touch on 101.
Information can also be left anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
Your Comments
Be the first to comment on this article
Login or Register to post a comment on this article