{"id":67899,"date":"2025-11-27T16:07:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T16:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=67899"},"modified":"2025-11-27T16:21:00","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T16:21:00","slug":"exeter-shop-shut-down-after-repeated-attempts-to-flee-with-illegal-tobacco","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/exeter-shop-shut-down-after-repeated-attempts-to-flee-with-illegal-tobacco\/","title":{"rendered":"Exeter shop shut down after repeated attempts to flee with illegal tobacco"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Trading standards and police have closed yet another business for selling illegal tobacco \u2013 despite repeated warnings and dramatic attempts to escape with contraband.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Wednesday, 26 November, District Judge Smith at Exeter Magistrates\u2019 Court granted a three-month closure order on The Mini Market, 156 Cowick Street, Exeter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The order follows a joint operation by Heart of the South West Trading Standards Service and Devon &amp; Cornwall Police.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the 14th closure in six months, with previous shutdowns in Honiton, Exmouth, Plymouth, and Torquay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The court heard the shop\u2019s proprietor ignored repeated warnings, continuing to sell illegal tobacco worth over \u00a311,000, seized during five separate raids. Officers described multiple attempts to flee with illicit goods:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>May: 436 packs of cigarettes and 89 pouches of tobacco seized from a man escaping through the rear entrance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>August: Police intercepted a vehicle linked to the shop carrying more illegal tobacco.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>September: Another man caught fleeing with 168 packs of cigarettes and 28 pouches.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tuesday this week: A man found on the shop roof with two bags of illegal tobacco as the closure notice was served.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Judge Smith warned the proprietor that if the shop reopens after three months, it will be under \u201ca very close eye.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"block_acf-block-6928772638102\" class=\"councillor-quote align-right grid-x\">\r\n\t<blockquote class=\"councillor-quote-blockquote medium-auto small-12 cell\">\r\n                    <div class=\"councillor-quote-title\"><p>Alex Fry, Operations Manager for Trading Standards, said:<\/p><\/div>\r\n        \t\t<div class=\"councillor-quote-text\"><p>\u201cDespite repeated warnings, this shop continued to sell illegal tobacco. Cheap, illicit products make it easier for children to start smoking and undermines legitimate businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n    \r\n    <\/div>\n\n<div id=\"block_acf-block-692877263843b\" class=\"councillor-quote align-right dcc grid-x\">\r\n\t<blockquote class=\"councillor-quote-blockquote medium-auto small-12 cell\">\r\n                    <div class=\"councillor-quote-title\"><p>Councillor Simon Clist, Cabinet Member for Trading Standards, added:<\/p><\/div>\r\n        \t\t<div class=\"councillor-quote-text\"><p>\u201cWe support businesses that play by the rules. Those that break the law will be shut down \u2013 and we\u2019ll keep working with police to make sure of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n        <div class=\"councillor-quote-aside medium-auto small-12 cell\">\r\n\t<figure class=\"councillor-quote-image grid-x\">\r\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"small-6 cell medium-12\" src=\"https:\/\/democracy.devon.gov.uk\/UserData\/3\/7\/5\/Info00011573\/bigpic.jpg\" alt=\"Councillor Simon Clist\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\r\n        <figcaption class=\"councillor-quote-description small-6 cell medium-12\" >\r\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/democracy.devon.gov.uk\/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=11573\" rel=\"noopener\">Councillor Simon Clist, Cabinet Member for Assets and Resources<\/a><\/figcaption>\r\n            <\/figure>\r\n    <\/div>\r\n    \r\n    <\/div>\n\n<div id=\"block_acf-block-6928772638482\" class=\"councillor-quote align-right grid-x\">\r\n\t<blockquote class=\"councillor-quote-blockquote medium-auto small-12 cell\">\r\n                    <div class=\"councillor-quote-title\"><p>Inspector Nathan Johnson from the Exeter Neighbourhood Police Team said: <\/p><\/div>\r\n        \t\t<div class=\"councillor-quote-text\"><p>\u201cThe diligence of the team, from the local Police Community Support Officer and Neighbourhood Beat Manager through to the legal department, has worked hard to address the harms caused by organised crime. We will continue to respond to information from the public, seek to protect those in Exeter and address organised criminality.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\r\n\t<\/blockquote>\r\n    \r\n    <\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":859,"featured_media":67900,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[22,34,24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-economy-and-skills","category-community","category-dcc-homepage"],"acf":[],"featured_image":{"ID":67900,"title":"Copy of hero image for news website (25)","alt":"","description":"","caption":"","url":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25.png","width":1200,"height":675,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-400x270.png","thumbnail_width":400,"thumbnail_height":270,"medium":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-600x338.png","medium_width":600,"medium_height":338,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-768x432.png","medium_large_width":768,"medium_large_height":432,"large":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-800x450.png","large_width":800,"large_height":450,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25.png","1536x1536_width":1200,"1536x1536_height":675,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25.png","2048x2048_width":1200,"2048x2048_height":675,"thumbnail_featured":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-770x450.png","thumbnail_featured_width":770,"thumbnail_featured_height":450,"thumbnail_sidebar":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-200x135.png","thumbnail_sidebar_width":200,"thumbnail_sidebar_height":135,"banner-block":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-440x440.png","banner-block_width":440,"banner-block_height":440,"small-banner":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-640x360.png","small-banner_width":640,"small-banner_height":360,"medium-banner":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-1024x576.png","medium-banner_width":1024,"medium-banner_height":576,"small-thumb":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-640x480.png","small-thumb_width":640,"small-thumb_height":480,"medium-thumb":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-320x240.png","medium-thumb_width":320,"medium-thumb_height":240,"large-thumb":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-420x315.png","large-thumb_width":420,"large-thumb_height":315,"slideshow-preview":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-300x200.png","slideshow-preview_width":300,"slideshow-preview_height":200,"slideshow":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/146\/2025\/11\/Copy-of-hero-image-for-news-website-25-800x533.png","slideshow_width":800,"slideshow_height":533}},"category_priority":false,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":true,"date":"2027-11-27 16:06:52","action":"delete","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/859"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67899"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67901,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67899\/revisions\/67901"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67900"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}