CUSTOMS officers seized nearly half a million illegal cigarettes during four days of raids in Newport and other locations in Wales and south west England last week.

Loose tobacco, beer, wine, and spirits were also seized by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). The confiscated goods had a total duty and VAT-evasion value of almost £220,000.

HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service said the sale of such products was "theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders".

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Supported by trading standards and the police, HMRC officers targeted retail premises in Newport on Thursday, September 19.

They used six tobacco dogs to uncover cigarettes hidden in some shops.

In total that day, HMRC seized 23,400 cigarettes, 6.7 kilograms of hand-rolling tobacco, 6.9 kilograms of shisha tobacco, 202 litres of wine, and 83.5 litres of beer at seven shops in Newport.

“The sale of illegal tobacco will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies," Tracey Noon, assistant director of HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service, said. "Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £1.8 billion a year; and the sale of illicit alcohol, which costs the UK around £0.9 billion per year."

Raids were also conducted last week on shops in Cardiff, Bristol, and Swindon.

The vast majority of the total number of cigarettes confiscated during the raids was in Swindon, where 335,300 were seized.

Ms Noon said anyone with information about the illegal sale of tobacco should report it online, or call the Fraud Hotline on 0800 788887.