Police discovered more than £20,000 worth of illegal cigarettes hidden in a house after a raid.

Two people were questioned by officers on Friday as investigators work at the scene.

Oxfordshire County Council’s trading standard officers say it’s the biggest seizure of illicit cigarettes ever.

It was part of Operation CeCe, a national trading standards initiative in partnership with HMRC which works to keep fake tobacco products off the streets.

During the raid, 44,440 cigarettes and 24,500 grams of hand-rolling tobacco were found.

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The man, aged 40, and the woman, aged 39, were both interviewed under caution at Banbury police station. The investigation is ongoing.

Oxfordshire’s Trading Standards head Jody Kerman warned residents of “stash houses”, saying: “One of those ways is from “stash houses”. If you’re living on a street where customers are regularly turning up to a property and leaving shortly afterwards, usually with a plastic bag containing the tell-tale rectangular shape box of 200 cigarettes, report it to us in the strictest confidence”.

  • With information to report contact 0300 999 6 999 or visit stop-illegal-tobacco.co.uk