Drone now in use to combat North East illegal tobacco trade

The drone, purchased by North Tyneside Council, can read number plates from a height of 120 metres and has already been deployed on missions to assist with investigations.

The drone also allows for surveillance on several different places at the same time, reducing the need for multiple officers to be deployed.

In addition to surveillance and locating illegal tobacco storage, the use of drones has also been credited with enhancing officers’ safety.

The new technology has also allowed authorities to track down runners as well as monitor raids to see if illegal tobacco traders have attempted to dispose of evidence.

Mark Duffy, a senior trading standards officer at North Tyneside Council, told a regional Trading Standards committee that the drone’s built-in camera is so powerful it can even make out the difference between plain and branded tobacco packaging.

Funding from Operation CeCe, a joint HMRC and National Trading Standards scheme, has also secured training for three drone pilots, currently two from North Tyneside and one from Gateshead.

Operation CeCe, which has seen closer collaboration and new enforcement powers between HMRC and Trading Standards, has removed more than 74 illegal cigarettes, 19,50kg of rolling tobacco, and nearly 175 kg of shisha products from sale since 2021.

On a local level, Gateshead Council estimates that every resident has to pay an extra £76 a year in tax to make up for duty lost to the illegal tobacco trade.

However, the drone has to comply with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, which governs how surveillance is undertaken and whether such methods are proportionate to the investigation. The use of the drone must be authorised by a magistrate.

The joint committee was also informed that the drone could be used for other investigations, including cracking down on rogue roofers.