More than 18 tonnes of illicit and unsafe goods, including illegal vapes, toys, cosmetics and non-duty paid shisha tobacco, have been seized in raids at a commercial marketplace located in Southall.
According to Ealing Council, the authority has launched a multi-agency taskforce to tackle the long-running counterfeit trade in Southall, with initial raids uncovering tonnes of illegal and potentially dangerous goods destined for high streets across the UK.
Operation Linchpin, led by Ealing Council’s Trading Standards team and funded by National Trading Standards, brings together enforcement agencies including the Metropolitan Police, City of London Police, HMRC and Border Force.
The operation is targeting businesses operating from the Charles House industrial estate and surrounding area on Bridge Road, an area the council describes as one of the country’s major centres for the importation and distribution of counterfeit goods.
Goods previously traced back to Charles House have been found being sold across the UK.
The latest enforcement action took place on Sept 3, when Trading Standards officers inspected businesses at Grand Union Enterprise Park. More than 20 Metropolitan Police officers supported the operation, alongside officers from the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Group, HMRC, Border Force and eight other council Trading Standards teams.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 18.5 tonnes of illicit, unsafe and non-compliant goods, enough to fill a large lorry.
The haul included illegal and dangerous vapes, toys and cosmetics, which the council said were intended for sale to consumers on high streets across the UK.
HMRC officers also seized a significant quantity of non-duty paid shisha tobacco, with investigations continuing.
The council said traders at the site have previously attempted to prevent inspections by quickly pulling down shutters. On this occasion, enforcement officers arrived equipped with mechanical equipment to gain entry and recover the suspected illegal goods.
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “Operation Linchpin shows that we are serious about stopping criminal traders who put shoppers at risk and damage honest businesses.“Charles House has been a major part of the counterfeit goods industry across the country for many years, and several other forms of criminality have also been linked to the site.
“Anyone involved in selling counterfeit or dangerous products at Charles House should be under no illusion. This is not a one-off operation, and we will continue working with our partners to take action and get these dangerous goods off the market.”