Police have seized £20,000 worth of illegal cigarettes and tobacco after a man abandoned his car and fled from officers.
Last week, Bensham received information about a suspicious looking vehicle on Whitehall Road in Bensham. When the vehicle drove past officers, the occupant quickly ran off, leaving the car, 23,280 cigarettes and 9.1kg of rolling tobacco behind.
The items were seized with the vehicle uplifted and an investigation launched to trace the offender.
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The latest haul means the police team behind 'Operation Vienna' have taken more than 80,000 illegal cigarettes and almost 40kg of suspected counterfeit tobacco out of circulation in the last three months.
Various operations and joint visits, led by Gateshead Council’s Trading Standard’s team, and other partner agencies, including HMRC, have been carried out to shops across the area in a bid to block the sale of illicit items and prevent cash being funnelled into organised crime.
Inspector Mark Allan from Northumbria Police said: “Operation Vienna was launched to ensure a robust response was in place to tackle crime and disorder in Bensham and the fact the team were able to act on reliable intelligence and information from those living and working in the area shows just how well they are embedded in their community.
“Officers drove past a vehicle they thought looked suspicious and when the occupant saw them, he fled on foot. Enquiries to trace him remain ongoing, but we were able to uplift the vehicle and seize a significant amount of suspected illegal items, the sale of which we believe would be used to fund organised crime. The fact the community continues to supply officers with information is a testament to the trust and respect they have in the Op Vienna partnership, and the results it achieves.
“No one should have to tolerate criminality in their area and as a Force we will do all we can to tackle it, and act on any information given to us.”
Insp Allan added: "It is important that we continue to work with our partners and help to take harmful and illegal items out of circulation.
"Some people might not see an issue with buying counterfeit cigarettes or illegal goods, but the truth is that the sale of these products is re-invested into serious and organised crime and by taking away the profits we take away the power and standing these groups hold.”
Councillor Linda Green, Cabinet Member for Communities and Volunteering with Gateshead Council, says the ongoing impact of Operation Vienna should act as a stark warning to anyone engaging in criminal activity in Gateshead.
“ Gateshead Council works very closely with Northumbria Police to protect residents from criminal activity in Northumbria Police, and this latest seizure of illegal tobacco products clearly demonstrates the decisive action that will be taken against anybody we suspect of breaking the law.
“Criminal behaviour such as this can have many detrimental effects on local communities, including increasing anti-social behaviour, and creating new addictions with children and young people, and it will not be tolerated.”
If you'd like to share some information and help keep illegal tobacco out of your community, you can report it on the Illegal Tobacco Hotline: 0300 999 0000. It's quick, easy and completely anonymous.
You can report crime or serious activity to us using the 'Tell us Something' page on the Northumbria Police website. Alternatively, you can contact independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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