FOUR Newport shops have been shut down for three months after being found to be involved in the sale of illegal tobacco.

The shops received three-month anti-social behaviour closure orders issued by Gwent Magistrates in August.

Superstore (141 Commercial Street), Jacob's Grocery Store (61 Commercial Street), Maleek Mini Market (61 Commercial Road), and Food Store (155 Commercial Road) will all be closed until November.

Food Store had contested the closure order, but was unsuccessful.

These closures come off the back of twelve shops in the city being issued with closure orders after trading standards officers caught them selling illegal tobacco in the first three months of 2022.

It was estimated at the time that the closures will have prevented around £375,000 in illegal tobacco sales. Following the latest closures, that figure has now risen to more than £500,000, Newport Council has said.

A survey by the non-profit group Action on Smoking and Health Wales (ASH Wales) found that the illegal tobacco market makes up 15 per cent of all tobacco sales in Wales, with a higher prevalence in deprived communities. 

“Illegal tobacco has been known to have links with serious organised crime,” read an ASH Wales statement. “Selling illegal tobacco may initially seem straight-forward, but if you look past the sellers and look further up the production chain, there is scope to fund serious criminal activity.

“Illegal tobacco sales have been known to fund drug operations and even human trafficking.

“It’s a gateway for children. Sellers often target children by selling cigarettes individually and/or at cheap prices.

“All tobacco is harmful, but illegal tobacco makes it easier for children to start smoking. Sellers rarely care who they sell to and can play a big part in starting a life-long addiction.

“Finally, cheap prices and the lack of health warnings do not help smokers to quit.”

The investigations into these latest closures were led by the council’s trading standards team supported by Gwent Police, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, ASH Wales, South Wales Fire and Rescue, Newport NOW, HM Customs and Excise, representatives from the tobacco industry and officers from Operation CeCe, a specialist trading standards team tackling illegal tobacco. 

Anyone with information relating to the sale of illegal tobacco is urged to report it, anonymously, at noifs-nobutts.co.uk/report-illegal-tobacco-in-wales

Closure details:

  • Superstore, 141 Commercial Street, Closed until November 10;
  • Jacobs, 61 Commercial Street, Closed until November 11;
  • Maleek, 61 Commercial Road, Closed until November 17;
  • Food Store, 155 Commercial Road, Closed until November 30.