Crimestoppers
Fearless - our youth service
Illegal tobacco fuels organised crime
Illegal tobacco might look like a harmless bargain, but behind every illegal packet there is criminal trade that harms people, communities and local businesses.
Crimestoppers is here for anyone who is worried about illegal cigarettes or hand-rolling tobacco being sold in their area and wants to do something about it, safely and anonymously.
Unlawful tobacco trade funding crime
Illegal tobacco covers any cigarettes or hand-rolling tobacco that are sold unlawfully - for example, products smuggled in without UK duty paid, imitation brands, or fakes made purely for the black market. These unlawful sales often happen in back rooms of shops, market stalls, private homes, vehicles or online, away from proper checks and safety standards.
This illegal trade is not just about cheap cigarettes, it’s about profits helping fund wider organised crime, including drug dealing, people trafficking, money laundering and the smuggling of weapons.
If you know where illegal tobacco is being sold, or who is supplying it, tell us - you stay 100% anonymous, guaranteed. Call 0800 555 111 or fill in our quick & easy online form, here on our website:
Hidden toll on communities
Fake products also make it harder for people to quit smoking and make it more likely that children and young people start in the first place.
Illegal tobacco sellers often target the most disadvantaged communities, where harm from smoking is already greatest. These unlawful sales undercut honest retailers who follow the rules, and bring organised crime right onto our high streets, into neighbourhoods and even into family homes.
Ridding communities of dodgy cigs
Across the UK, authorities are working together to crack down on illegal tobacco, seizing unlawful products. Between April 2023 and March 2024, over 1.3 billion illegal cigarettes were seized by UK authorities.
But enforcement alone is not enough. Community information is vital to expose hidden supply chains, storage sites and those organising unlawful sales. When you share what you know about illegal tobacco with Crimestoppers, you help protect children, support local businesses and disrupt the wider criminal networks profiting from this trade. You help keep your community safe by telling us what you know.
If you know where illegal tobacco is being sold, or who is supplying it, tell us - you stay 100% anonymous, guaranteed. Call 0800 555 111 or fill in our quick & easy online form, here on our website:
Signs to spot
If something doesn’t feel right around tobacco sales, it probably isn’t. Possible warning signs of illegal tobacco include:
- Tobacco or cigarettes sold well below the usual retail price, often for cash only, with no receipt.
- Unusual or foreign packaging, spelling mistakes, health warnings in another language or missing UK health markings
- Products being kept under the counter, in back rooms, vehicles or bags rather than on normal shelves.
- Sales from non‑traditional outlets such as vape stores, barbers, takeaways, phone shops, shisha lounges, market stalls, private homes or via social media.
You do not need to be sure something is unlawful; if it feels suspicious, you can tell our charity what you know.
Speak up 100% anonymously
Crimestoppers is an independent charity. When you contact us, you stay 100% anonymous - we will never ask for your name or trace your call or online form. You can safely share information about unlawful or shady tobacco sales 24/7, 365 days a year.
Your information could:
- Help seize illegal products and close down illegal sellers.
- Protect children and young people from being drawn into smoking or exploited by criminal gangs.
- Protect your community from the wider harms that accompany illegal tobacco
- Disrupt the organised crime groups using illegal tobacco profits to fund other serious offences.
If you know, or suspect, that someone is selling illegal, or fake tobacco, tell Crimestoppers online or by phone today.
Together, we can keep illegal tobacco out of our communities and make streets, homes and workplaces safer for everyone.
If you know where illegal tobacco is being sold, or who is supplying it, tell us - you stay 100% anonymous, guaranteed. Call 0800 555 111 or fill in our quick & easy online form, here on our website:
