UK illegal cigarette business – level 2
09-07-2025 07:00
A BBC report showed that many mini marts in the UK sell illegal cigarettes. Police and authorities say it is hard to stop this problem.
They think gangs bring the cigarettes and make a lot of money. Some workers in these shops are asylum seekers who cannot work legally.
Workers hide cigarettes in tunnels under shop floors. One shop had many bags full of smuggled cigarettes. Even when the police discover a shop, it sometimes opens again soon.
In the city of Hull, reporters found many shops selling illegal tobacco. This crime is now usual on British high streets. Experts say this business is very big and can be like drug selling. It also brings other crimes, such as illegal business with people and money crimes.
Difficult words: mini mart (a small supermarket), asylum seeker (a person who leaves their country to find a safe place to live), smuggle (to bring things into a country secretly).
You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.
What tactics do workers use to hide smuggled cigarettes in some mini marts?
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