Tens of thousands of illicit cigarettes, a range of vapes and tobacco products plus unsafe and counterfeit toys have been seized from retailers by City of Wolverhampton Council.
Acting on complaints, the council’s Trading Standards team partnered with officers from Wolverhampton Police to target a number of premises across the city.
Specially trained detection dog Griff from Stu Phillips K9 helped sniff out some of the illegal tobacco products, which were found across four businesses as well as in the boot of a car.
The wide range of items seized included cigarettes, disposable vapes, trademark infringing perfumes, unsafe and counterfeit toys, boxes of perfume or aftershave believed to be counterfeit, prescription only medication and counterfeit energy drinks.
In total 38,840 cigarettes were found along with 347 vapes and 17kg of hand rolling tobacco.
The estimated retail value of the cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco seized, if genuine, would be £45,958. The duty evaded for cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco would come to £23,415.
The seizures were carried out under Trading Standards initiative Operation CeCe and action will now be taken against the owners of premises where the material was seized. Further investigations will be carried out to identify their suppliers.
Once investigations have been completed, the illegal cigarettes and tobacco will be handed over to a recycling scheme to be dealt with in an environmentally friendly way.
Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services at City of Wolverhampton Council, said: “We are determined to clamp down on the sales of counterfeit products in the city. As we head towards Christmas it is particularly important that we stop the sale of items which are unsafe for our younger residents.
“This successful operation forms part of our wider strategy in dealing with this issue and we will continue to carry out targeted action days and routine test purchases.
“I’d like to congratulate everyone involved in this successful partnership operation, including our Trading Standards team, Wolverhampton Police and the reliable nose of tobacco detection dog Griff from Stu Phillips K9.”
Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said: “The illicit tobacco trade is driven by organised criminal gangs and poses serious risks to local communities, especially young people.
“Since its launch, Operation CeCe – a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC that City of Wolverhampton Council, part of CEnTSA (Central England Trading Standards Authorities), supports – has removed 69 million illegal cigarettes, 19,750kg of hand rolling tobacco and almost 175kg of shisha products from sale, helping to clamp down on this illicit trade and protect communities and honest businesses across the UK.”
Officers from our Trading Standards team have issued some warning signs to look out for when buying cigarettes or tobacco.
The telltale signs of illegal tobacco include unusual taste, cheap price, unusual packaging, spelling mistakes or incorrect logos. They may also have health warnings that may not be printed in English, might not display a picture, might not be printed on a white background and may have different sized lettering to usual.