Illegal tobacco tainted by asbestos and rats

Customs officers examine a haul of illegal tobacco. Stricter laws could mean more people start buying on the black market
Customs officers examine a haul of illegal tobacco. Stricter laws could mean more people start buying on the black market
JULIEN BEHAL/PRESS ASSOCIATION ARCHIVE

One in eight retailers in London is selling illegal tobacco products, undercover research has found.

As smoking laws are tightened on Saturday, more people could start buying illicit products, Japan Tobacco International says. It found that about 32 per cent of roll-your-own tobacco and 13 per cent of cigarettes in Britain are sold illegally.

Steve Wilkins, a former detective chief superintendent at Dyfed-Powys police who directs JTI’s operations against the illicit trade, said that cheap illegal tobacco was damaging local communities. He added that smokers buying counterfeit cigarettes “may be getting more than they bargained for” because they had been found to contain asbestos, mould, dust, dead flies, rat droppings and even human excrement.

From this weekend, ten-packs of cigarettes and smaller bags of roll-your-own