More than 24,000 illegal cigarettes, 129kg of rolling tobacco and £50,000 in cash has been seized in the past 12 months as part of efforts to crack down on the illegal tobacco trade in County Durham. The figures are revealed in a report to Durham County Council’s Cabinet which also shows that four custodial sentences, totally more than five years, were imposed by the courts as a result of the investigations. In one case, a three-month closure order was placed on a premises involved in the sale of illegal tobacco. The report reviews the authority’s work in enforcing legislation regarding the sale of age-restricted products including tobacco as well as alcohol, DVDs, fireworks, knives, solvent... [Read more]