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Police, Trading Standards and Home Office Immigration Enforcement teams swooped on one of England's most historic Roman cities to find illegal cigarettes hidden in extraordinary places. Cheshire Police's Exploitation Team joined other agencies, including Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service last week in a crackdown on "Organised Immigration Crime".

The squads swooped on four stores in the Roman-walled city of Chester, as well as nearby Neston, that they suspected were linked to counterfeit goods and illegal immigration criminality. They were stunned when they uncovered over 11,000 counterfeit and illegal cigarettes, many hidden in sophisticated concealment hides - such as hollow-out armchairs, wall cavities and takeaway delivery bike bags.

Detective Sergeant Andy Mason, of the Western Exploitation Team, said: "As a result of this operation we've recovered well over 11,000 fake cigarettes from three stores, which will have considerably disrupted the efforts of those looking to benefit from criminal activity.

"We work hard to tackle criminals operating in our communities and this operation demonstrates just some of the work we do all year round to keep our residents and vulnerable people safe.

"We have seen links between the sale of these illicit substances and organised immigration crime and modern slavery offences, which is why we are committed to doing all we can to identify those involved.

The crackdown - named Operation Accommodate - was led by Detective Sergeant Manson, of the Western Exploitation Team at Cheshire Police.

Some of hidden hauls were uncovered thanks to the smart nose of a specialist tobacco detection dog.

Raided stores included Local Station Off Licence, in Chester, where officers recovered over 7,000 illegal cigarettes; Easy Go Vapes, Chester, where over 1,200 illegal cigarettes were seized and King Vape Mini Market, in Neston, where the tobacco dog helped locate over 3,000 illegal cigarettes.

All of these products were subsequently seized by officers and will be destroyed. Trading Standards colleagues are now seeking closure orders on two of the premises.

DS Mason added: "I hope this operation highlights to members of the public the volume of work that goes into keeping our residents safe from those who are intent on causing risk and harm to our communities."

Last month a BBC investigation found criminal gangs were using the High Street to sell fake goods, cocaine, cannabis, laughing gas and prescription pills.

Across the country, shopfronts are being exploited by organised criminal gangs that have gained a foothold pushing illegal substances, the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) have both recently claimed.

Following the BBC probe, senior Labour MP and chair of the Business and Trade Committee Liam Byrne, said: "We can't restore our High Streets unless we take out the cancer of organised crime."

The Home Office said in response to the claims that the government is working with police, the NCA and Trading Standards to "take the strongest possible action against these criminal businesses."