Illegal Tobacco where you live
Throughout 2026, undercover operatives are visiting stores across the UK to understand the scale of illegal tobacco on your high street.
Most Recent Investigation: Leeds
Previous Investigations
IT'S TIME TO SHUT IT DOWN.
Seen something suspicious?
You don't need to confront anyone.
You can report it anonymously, quickly and safely.
If you're aware of anybody selling illegal tobacco you should report this using the anonymous form above, or by contacting HM Revenue & Customs' Fraud Hotline on 0800 788 887, Trading Standards (through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline) on 0808 223 1133 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Criminals keep profiting.
Communities keep struggling.
of people surveyed nationally believe politicians are not doing enough to tackle illegal tobacco trading.[2]
of people surveyed nationally believe that there is not enough enforcement to stop illegal tobacco sales.[2]
[1] Test purchasing was conducted by trained undercover operatives commissioned by JTI UK . A total of 30 independent retailers that sell tobacco products were visited in Leeds West & Pudsey in February 2026.
[2] This data is based on an online survey that was conducted for JTI UK by an independent British Polling Council accredited research agency between January 7 and January 29 2026, involving a sample of 15,228 UK adults aged 19 and over including 5,444 smokers. To ensure the findings are representative of the UK general population, the data was weighted by age, gender and region.
£2bn figure based on HMRC's tax gap estimates for Excise Duty and VAT losses 2022 - 2023 https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/20250501185902/https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps (select the table for 2024 and go to table 3.7. See lines 6 and 7 combined for 2022-2023). Live clock counter number based on this source.