Walsall Council’s Trading Standards team, supported by Walsall Police, seized 23,000 cigarettes worth around £18,000 from a shop in Wednesbury Road, Pleck.
Trading Standards officers also seized 3,000 cigarettes worth around £2,000 from a shop on Caldmore Green, as well as a further 100 illegal cigarettes from a shop on the Stafford Road. The enforcement action took place on May 15.
Walsall Police’s dog team attended to search for drugs and Trading Standards brought along a specialist tobacco dog search team which sniffed out the hoard of illegal cigarettes.
It is all part of enforcement action taking place across the West Midlands as part of Operation Stance. The aim of the operation is to crack down on organised criminals blighting High Streets by selling illicit goods and fuelling anti-social behaviour and violence.
A Walsall Council spokesperson said, “A significant quantity of illegal tobacco has been removed from circulation through this joint enforcement activity.
“Illicit tobacco undermines legitimate businesses, poses risks to public health and is often linked to wider criminality and anti-social behaviour. We will continue working closely with West Midlands Police and our partners to target those involved in the illegal trade of tobacco and counterfeit goods.”
Chief Inspector Lee Wiggan, from Walsall Police, said: “We know that shops that sell illegal cigarettes, vapes and other counterfeit goods are often linked to serious organised crime including exploitation of vulnerable people, as well as violence and anti-social behaviour.
“We work with our partners including Trading Standards to disrupt organised crime and to bring those involved in this criminality to justice.
“We would urge anyone with information to contact us and our partners, as the more evidence and intelligence we receive means we all have a better opportunity of combating any illegal activity.”
Meanwhile, Trading Standards officers from East Lothian Council, accompanied by Police Scotland, recently conducted visits to shops across the county during which no illicit tobacco was recovered.
However, the authorities stated that the council will continue to mount regular visits to premises under Operation CECE, a UK-wide operation between Trading Standards and HMRC tackling their sale at retail level.