UK intensifies crackdown on illegal tobacco and vapes, seizing millions in smuggled goods
UK officials said police seized more than 4.5 million illegal cigarettes, 600 kg of illegal tobacco and 111,000 illegal vapes during a nationwide operation targeting high-street crime. The month-long operation, called Operation Machinize 2, was led by the
UK officials said police seized more than 4.5 million illegal cigarettes, 600 kg of illegal tobacco, and 111,000 illegal vapes in a nationwide crackdown on high street crime. The month-long operation, called Operation Machinize 2, was led by the National Crime Agency (NCA) with police, HMRC, and Trading Standards, and targeted businesses used as fronts for money laundering and illegal sales. Enforcement teams raided 2,734 premises, arrested 924 people, and seized £10.7 million in suspected criminal cash.
Officials said the operation dismantled organized crime networks that used small shops to evade taxes and sell counterfeit goods. The NCA estimated that £3.4 million in unpaid tax was recovered, while £2.7 million worth of counterfeit and harmful products were destroyed.
Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the coordinated effort was part of a broader push to “smash criminal networks and protect honest business owners,” while NCA officials praised the operation as a “new standard” for joint enforcement.
The first phase of Operation Machinize, carried out in April, seized far fewer illegal goods, underscoring the growing scale of illicit trade on Britain’s high streets.
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