Officers from Lincolnshire Police, Trading Standards and Immigration Enforcement carried out inspections at four businesses across Grantham and Bourne on Thursday 23 July as part of a multi-agency enforcement operation targeting illegal activity, public health risks and organised crime.
Three of the businesses inspected were in Grantham and one in Bourne. The operation focused on ensuring products were legal and compliant, and that employees had the legal right to work in the UK.
What officers found
At a shop in Bourne, officers uncovered a quantity of suspected illegal cigarettes and cannabis vapes hidden inside a large rucksack stored in a nearby vehicle with blacked-out windows. One worker at the shop was found to be carrying a key to the vehicle. Trading Standards seized the products for further investigation.
At one of the Grantham shops, a delivery of cannabis plants arrived while officers were on site. Police seized the plants.
Immigration enforcement action
Immigration Enforcement arrested two males during the operation — one Pakistani national and one Afghan national — who are liable to be removed from the UK. A Civil Penalty Referral Notice was issued to the employer at Toor Superstore in Grantham for illegally employing one of the males.
Why the raids matter
Illegal cigarettes and counterfeit vaping products often evade safety regulations and testing standards, meaning consumers cannot be certain what substances they contain or the risks they pose to health. Cannabis vapes are illegal and can contain unknown ingredients, including potentially harmful chemicals. The sale of these products can also be linked to wider organised criminal networks, which profit from illegal activity while putting communities at risk.
Sergeant Lee Mayfield, from the Grantham and Bourne Neighbourhood Policing Team, said the coordinated enforcement days are an important part of protecting communities and ensuring businesses operate within the law. He added that the illegal tobacco and vape trade is not victimless, as profits can help fund organised crime groups while consumers are exposed to products that have not been subject to the same safety checks and standards as legitimate goods.
Anyone with information about the sale of illegal tobacco, illegal vapes or other suspicious activity in the area is encouraged to report it to Lincolnshire Police or partner agencies.