A tip off about money laundering and counterfeit goods led police to recovering thousands of illicit cigarettes as well as unaccounted cash in a crackdown in Wirral shops this week.
Merseyside Police said that officers had "received intelligence of money laundering and counterfeit goods" leading to a joint operation with trading standards officers at locations across Wirral.
More than 1,000 packets of cigarettes and tobacco were recovered during the raid at stores across Wirral alongside a large quantity of cash.
Merseyside Police issued a statement about the operation on the Wirral Police Facebook page on Wednesday, June 9 showing pictures of a huge haul of cigarettes bundled into shopping bags as well as cash seized during the raid.
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police, posting on social media, said: "Officers from TeamBeb have been working alongside trading standards as part of a joint operation today.
"Various stores across Wirral have been visited by local enforcement teams and local officers after receiving intelligence of money laundering and counterfeit goods being sold at these locations.
"Officers seized over 1,000 illicit packets of cigarettes and tobacco.
"Officers also seized a large amount of money which was unaccounted for. It is believed that this money was intended to be used for criminality."
The Wirral stores involved in the operation were not named.
