REVENUE and customs officers have seized a massive haul of what are believed to be illegal cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco.

They arrested two men and two women during a huge operation to disrupt the sale and supply of illegal tobacco in Somerset and Bristol.

They uncovered 1.2million cigarettes and 244 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco.

Officers from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), supported by Bristol Trading Standards, Devon and Somerset Trading Standards and North Somerset Trading Standards, visited 50 retail premises and self storage units between Wednesday and Friday last week (July 13 to 15).

The visits, part of HMRC’s multi-agency activity, led to suspected illegal tobacco products being seized from 16 premises in Bristol, Chard, Taunton and Bridgwater.

It included: In Bristol - •824,829 cigarettes, with an estimated £264,770 duty and VAT evaded; •55.35 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco, with an estimated £13,505 duty and VAT evaded; •100 litres of spirits, with an estimated £1,287 duty and VAT evaded.

In Somerset - •430,060 cigarettes, with an estimated £138,049 duty and VAT evaded; •188.9 kilos of hand-rolling tobacco, with an estimated £46,092 duty and VAT evaded.

John Cooper, assistant director, Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC, said: “The sale of illegal tobacco will not be tolerated by us or our partner agencies.

"Disrupting criminal trade is at the heart of our strategy to clampdown on the illicit tobacco market, which costs the UK around £2 billion a year. This is theft from the taxpayer and undermines legitimate traders.

“We encourage anyone with information about the illegal sale of tobacco to contact the Customs Hotline on 0800-595000.”

Cllr Roger Croad, Devon County Council's Cabinet Member responsible for Devon and Somerset Trading Standards, said: "Trading Standards are determined to crack down on the sale and supply of illegal tobacco.

"These are serious criminal offences. Illegal sales of tobacco in the South West have a huge impact on people’s health.

"It is one of our top priorities for action, not only because smoking remains one of the UK's biggest causes of premature death but we also know that the availability of cheap, illegal tobacco makes it harder for people to give up smoking."

Cllr David Hall, Somerset County Council’s deputy leader, said: “All tobacco is harmful but illegal tobacco poses an additional threat to our children and communities because it is sold at pocket money prices by criminals who are not interested in asking for proof of age.

“Our officers routinely act on information we receive, and work with partner agencies including HMRC as they did in this case, so I would encourage consumers to continue to report those involved in selling illicit tobacco because their valuable information can significantly aid our investigations.”

Cllr Fi Hance, cabinet member with responsibility for Trading Standards at Bristol City Council, said: “Our trading standards officers are working hard with various partners to keep illegal, unregulated tobacco off the streets.

"They are not subject to the same controls as legal products so their impact on people's health can be even worse than ordinary tobacco.”

*Two men, aged 34 and 29, and two women, aged 31 and 21, all from Yeovil, were arrested by HMRC on suspicion of associated money laundering offences. They have been bailed until October 2016.

*12 tobacco dogs and their handlers helped officers uncover cigarettes hidden in various parts of the shops and self storage units.

*Since 2000, HMRC, working with other enforcement agencies, has more than halved the size of the illicit market in cigarettes; in the last two years alone, more than 3.1 billion illicit cigarettes and over 642 tonnes of hand-rolling tobacco have been seized resulting in 745 prosecutions.

*HMRC can also levy civil penalties on anyone handling, using or supplying non-duty paid tobacco products. Penalties introduced in April 2010 range from 10 to 100% of the possible lost revenue.

*Anyone with information regarding tobacco fraud is encouraged to contact the Customs Hotline on 0800-595000 or via the website http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/reportingfraud/online.htm