FOI Request - Illegal Goods

Request 101003798982

1.  How many shops has your council’s Trading Standards team seized illegal cigarettes, tobacco or vaping products from in the individual financial years 2022-2023, 2023-2024 and 2024-2025?  If possible, please break this down by:

a)  Estimated value in Pound Sterling of items seized
b)  Total number of items seized
c)  Product type seized (cigarettes, vapes, other vaping products such as e-liquids, rolling tobacco or other)
d)  Type of shop (e.g. mini mart, vape shop, barber, car wash)

2.  How many shops have been shut in your local authority due to seizures of illegal cigarettes, tobacco or vapes in the individual financial years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25?  Within each financial year, please break this down by:

a)  Temporary closures
b)  Permanent closures (Please indicate whether your Trading Standards body has the power to permanently close shops. If not, please indicate who does have this power and if you hold information on these figures.)
c)  Number of times the same shop has been closed due to the above.  Please indicate whether the most recent closure was permanent or temporary

Response 24-06-2025

1.  

2022-2023: No seizures
2023-2024: 49 pouches of hand rolling tobacco seized from individual. Estimated value £2,000
2024-2025: 41 single use vapes seized from vape shop. Estimated value £200

                    21 packs of 20 cigarettes seized from licensed premises. Estimated value £315

2.  None. Moray Trading Standards has no power to permanently close shops.