Authorities in Sunderland, England, seized 188,640 packets of cigarettes and 74.75 kilograms of hand-rolling tobacco suspected of being illegally imported during an operation last month at a house in Easington Lane. Northumbria Police and Sunderland City Council’s trading standards team recovered the products, which are valued at more than £1 million, according to HM Revenue and Customs. An investigation is ongoing. Sunderland City Council and police urged the public to report suspected illegal tobacco sales, citing their impact on legitimate retailers and links to organized crime.
