Approximately 116,000 illicit cigarettes and 27kg of tobacco were seized by police during a series of raids in Dumfries town centre, resulting in the arrest of one man.
Officers executed five warrants on Wednesday, 28 October, as part of Operation Machinize, a National Crime Agency (NCA) coordinated initiative targeting money laundering and other criminal activity linked to cash-intensive high street businesses.
Dumfries community policing officers were joined by Dumfries and Galloway Council Trading Standards and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) in the operation, which followed several months of investigative work. One man was arrested, and HMRC is now progressing the investigation.
“This is a significant recovery and the result of many months of work by a team of officers. We will continue to work with our partners to deter and detect this type of criminality in our community, using every tool and tactic at our disposal.”
Inspector Callum Dalgleish-Little
Recent operation follows previous large-scale seizure in Dumfries
The recovery follows an even larger operation in Dumfries in July 2025, when police and Trading Standards executed four warrants in the town centre.
That operation resulted in the seizure of approximately 500,000 cigarettes, 103kg of hand-rolling tobacco and £7,000 in cash. Police arrested three men, aged 25, 28 and 31, and passed the investigation to HMRC.
Police Scotland described the goods recovered in July 2025 as worth about £3.5 million and estimated they represented a potential loss of more than £350,000 in duty and tax.
In total, the two operations have resulted in the recovery of approximately 616,000 cigarettes and 130kg of tobacco from Dumfries town centre over a period of just over 15 months.
Operation part of broader measures targeting organised crime
Operation Machinize was launched in 2025 to tackle the exploitation of high street businesses for money laundering, tax evasion and other criminal activities.
The NCA has identified businesses including mini-markets, barbers, nail salons, vape shops and car washes as potential targets for criminal exploitation. Such businesses can be used to conceal the proceeds of crime or facilitate the sale of illicit goods.
In October 2025, law enforcement agencies visited almost 200 premises across Scotland as part of Operation Machinize, seizing illegal tobacco and counterfeit goods and making several arrests.
The operation’s national scale is substantial. According to the NCA, its second phase comprised of visits or raids at 2,734 premises across the UK and resulted in 924 arrests.
Officers recovered 4.5 million illegal cigarettes and 622kg of illicit tobacco, alongside other illegal goods. More than £10.7 million in suspected criminal proceeds was seized.
Illegal baccy trade linked to broader criminal activity
The Scottish Government’s Serious Organised Crime Taskforce progress report, published in March 2026, highlights how illegal tobacco sales finance criminal activity and undermine legitimate businesses. The report also identifies possible risks linked with counterfeit tobacco products, including unknown contaminants and increased fire hazards.
Council outlines commitment to ongoing enforcement activity
Councillor Andy Ferguson, chair of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, welcomed the latest operation.
“Our Trading Standards officers continue to work closely with Police Scotland and other partners to tackle the sale and supply of illegal tobacco products. Joint operations such as this demonstrate the importance of partnership working in disrupting the illegal tobacco trade and helping to protect our communities. We will continue to support this coordinated approach and take action where appropriate to prevent illegal products being sold in Dumfries and Galloway.”
Councillor Andy Ferguson
Police have asked members of the public with any information regarding the sale or supply of illegal tobacco products to contact Dumfries and Galloway Council Trading Standards, Police Scotland on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Additional enforcement activity reported across southern Scotland
The most recent operation in Dumfries follows similar enforcement activity undertaken in other parts of southern Scotland.
On 19 October 2026, Scottish Borders Council also reported recovering more than 15,000 illicit cigarettes and tobacco pouches, worth approximately £14,600, during a joint operation involving Trading Standards and Police Scotland. That operation was also conducted under Operation Machinize.
Scottish Borders Councillor Robin Tatler, executive member for Public Safety and Resilience, said: “This sends a clear warning that profiting at the expense of our communities will not be tolerated.”
This follows another operation in September, when North Lanarkshire Council reported another operation targeting illegal tobacco sales. Officers visited five premises, recovering 27,320 cigarettes and 2.35kg of hand-rolling tobacco under Operation CeCe.