The seizures, carried out by Barnet Council’s Trading Standards team, involved hand-rolling tobacco and related products and took place in an operation that targeted five businesses and a self-storage container in Finchley, Colindale, Edgware, West Hendon and Golders Green.
Officers discovered 3.6 tonnes of tobacco leaf stored in 180 boxes, each weighing 20kg—equivalent to 72,000 pouches—valued at £3,121,200.
Additional items seized included 4,506 cigarettes valued at £65,337, 309 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco worth £13,395.15, 973 vapes valued at £9,730, and 59kg of shisha tobacco.
Cllr Barry Rawlings, leader of Barnet Council, said: “This work is important.
“Our Trading Standards officers covertly inspect businesses on a regular basis to ensure they’re trading fairly and within the law.
“We take the health and wellbeing of our residents extremely seriously, and businesses should not be profiteering on the black market by selling products that will cause them harm.”
Illicit goods were found hidden behind false doors, in two vehicles, in a safe, and in a huge self-storage container near one of the premises.
The operation was supported by the Met Police, HMRC, and two trained sniffer dogs.
Five days later, Trading Standards officers launched Operation Dinar, targeting an alleged organised crime group.
They raided a smoking store in Hendon, a shop linked to it in Tottenham using information gathered during a previous operation that happened back in September.
Officers also targeted the Haringey and Ealing homes of two suspects, who were then taken into police custody.
They seized 1,621 cigarettes valued at £23,504.50, 2,435 vapes worth £24,350, 59 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco worth £2,557.65, 1kg of shisha worth £49.99, and more than £4,000 in cash.
Trading Standards and the police will be considering a full range of enforcement actions against the individuals and businesses. This includes – upon further investigation – the potential to prosecute, closure orders against problem premises, and more.
They are reminding traders that legitimate tobacco products must be in plain packaging and that vapes are defined as any reusable devices, including those that are rechargeable, refillable, or contain replaceable parts.
