![Cheap Cigs Containing Human S**t Are Being Sold Over The Counter](http://20.theladbiblegroup.com/s3/content/dc5fa7a7591c3b8d861c31404bcfdc68.png)
Illegal cigarettes are being sold over the counter in some shops, and several contain human shit and dead flies.
An independent party conducted some undercover tests on shops in London. Shockingly, they found that one in eight of the 50 shops they visited were found to be selling illegal cigarettes and tobacco.
The fact that these cigs contain less than desirable ingredients, such as asbestos, poo and rat droppings, should come as no surprise to anyone who's smoked fake cigarettes. They're absolutely vile.
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Footage of the mystery shoppers purchasing fake cigs. Credit: JTI/The Sun
Japan Tobacco International now reckons that the new plain packaging on cigarette packets, which was introduced to make them less attractive to consumers, could make it easier for criminals to replicate.
Steve Wilkins, JTI's Anti-Illegal Trade Operations Director and former Detective Chief Superintendent at Dyfed Powys Police, told The Sun: "Smokers buying cheap fake cigarettes and tobacco on the streets of the UK may be getting more than they bargain for as these fake imitations have been found to contain asbestos, mould, dust, dead flies, rat droppings and even human excrement.
"The availability of cheap, illegal tobacco across towns and cities in the UK is damaging local communities and along with retailers, suppliers and the Government we all have a role to play to combat the issue."
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But how do you know what's fake and what's not? Illegal Tobacco Keep It Out, an information site, says that you should look out for one or more of the following:
- Foreign brand names (known as cheap whites) made purely for the black market, such as Raquel and Jin Ling
- Cheaper prices - less than £3.50 for a pack of 20
- Foreign health warnings
- No picture health warnings
- Unusual taste and smell
![](http://20.theladbiblegroup.com/s3/content/be8bc342591c8e2e5cea441a1d0e9b95.jpg)
Credit: Stop Illegal Tobacco
There's also counterfeit cigarettes, which may very well look like normal packets, but there are slight differences.
- Popular brands such as Lambert and Butler or Benson and Hedges
- Unusual packaging - spelling mistakes, incorrect logos or typefaces, foreign health warnings
- No picture health warnings
- Cheaper prices - less than £3.50 for a pack of 20
- Unusual taste and smell
![](http://20.theladbiblegroup.com/s3/content/9a2060d0591c8e2e5ceaa5acb0ad9d5f.png)
Credit: Stop Illegal Tobacco
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An HMRC spokesperson said: "The UK faces a continued threat from cheap illicit tobacco products. The majority of retailers are law abiding traders.
"However, there are those who believe they can make easy money by selling illicit tobacco products under the counter. HMRC continues to develop and refine the methods used to combat the ever-changing nature of illicit trade."
Featured Image Credit: PA ImagesTopics: Smoke, Cigarettes, Smoking