- Operation finds 79% of independent tobacco retailers visited selling illegal tobacco in Keighley and Ilkley[1]
- 64% of stores found to be selling illegal tobacco in 2026, were reported to Trading Standards for selling illicit in 2023[1]
A test purchasing operation commissioned by JTI UK has shown that illegal tobacco products were found in 11 out of the 14 independent stores selling tobacco visited (79%) in the West Yorkshire towns of Keighley and Ilkley[1].
Of the 11 shops found to be selling illegal tobacco this year, seven (64%) had also sold illegal tobacco during previous exercises in 2023, including one shop that has since rebranded[1]. These findings suggest enforcement in the region is not deterring independent shops from selling illegal goods and committing criminal offences.
Among the illicit products bought were counterfeit pouches of Amber Leaf (£4.00 each) which were retrieved from under the counter or in the back room. For comparison, the recommended retail price of a legal 30g pouch of Amber Leaf is £27.95[2]. On one occasion, illicit tobacco was recovered from a neighbouring store and, on another, from a car parked in the nearby supermarket carpark.
New polling commissioned by the It Costs More Than You Think campaign found that 85% of people surveyed in Keighley, Ilkley and surrounding areas believe politicians are not doing enough to tackle illegal tobacco trading[3]. Three in five (60%) people surveyed were also very concerned by the impact of local businesses struggling to compete with illegal sellers due to the illegal tobacco trade.
Reports from HMRC and the National Crime Agency have found evidence that the high streets’ illicit tobacco trade is linked with serious criminal enterprises such as drug smuggling and human trafficking[4].
“It’s incredibly frustrating to see the same shops consistently breaking the law with seemingly no lasting consequences,” states Dale Stacey, Communications Manager at JTI UK. “Tackling illegal tobacco is one of JTI’s top priorities, but the results from Keighley and Ilkley demonstrate why this problem remains present – many stores are getting away with it, year after year.
“This persistent issue raises serious questions about the effectiveness of current enforcement measures and the penalties in place to deter criminal activity. That’s why we’re continuing to develop our It Costs More Than You Think campaign, raising awareness of the dangers of illicit tobacco with consumers and retailers.”
Looking ahead, four in five (81%) people surveyed in Keighley, Ilkley and surrounding areas believe the increase on tobacco taxes will increase the demand for illegal tobacco[3].
From 1 October 2026, smokers will face a double duty increase, with the usual annual RPI plus 2% tobacco uplift applied alongside a one-off additional rise on cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco, introduced with the new vaping products duty[5].
Government figures show the one-off increase alone will add £1.21 to a pack of 20 cigarettes and £2.54 to a 30g pouch, creating a sharp price rise that risks pushing more consumers towards the black market[6].
All evidence gathered from the test purchases will be handed to Trading Standards and HM Revenue & Customs.
The It Costs More Than You Think Campaign can be viewed here: https://www.itcostsmorethanyouthink.co.uk – the dedicated retailer page outlines the risks of selling illegal tobacco, alongside helpful tips on how to spot illegal tobacco products and report stores selling illegal goods.
[1] Test purchasing was conducted by a trained undercover operative commissioned by JTI UK. A total of 14 independent retailers that sell tobacco products were visited in Keighley and Ilkley on the 11th February 2026.
7 of 11 (64%) stores found to be selling illicit tobacco in most recent Test Purchasing operation were also found to be complicit in the illicit trade of tobacco in a similar operation in 2023. Evidence from all seven instances was shared with Trading Standards at the time.
[2] Recommended retail price correct as of 19 January 2026. Retailers are free to price as they choose.
[3] This data is based on an online survey that was conducted for JTI 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. To ensure the findings are representative of the UK general population, the data was weighted by age, gender and region.
The data for Keighley, Ilkley and surrounding areas was collected from 126 adults living in the ITL3 classified Bradford area, the ITL3 region in which Keighley, Ilkley, Bradford East, Bradford South, Bradford West, Baildon, Bingley and Shipley are located. 54 of the people surveyed were smokers.
[4] HMRC and Border Forcer paper on impact of illicit tobacco: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stubbing-out-the-problem-a-new-strategy-to-tackle-illicit-tobacco/stubbing-out-the-problem-a-new-strategy-to-tackle-illicit-tobacco National Crime Agency, Operation Machinize: hundreds of barbershops targeted in NCA-coordinated crackdown: https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/operation-machinize-hundreds-of-barbershops-targeted-in-nca-coordinated-crackdown
[6] Tobacco increases per pack with duty rate changes:
Comments are closed.