Black market catches to reach £100,000 for one council in 2024

Sandwell Council said this week that its trading standards officers had seized around 3200 vapes, 127,300 cigarettes and 23 bags of shisha in various shop raids.

West Midlands Police is working with Sandwell Council Trading Standards to identify shops selling counterfeit goods. These include intelligence-based inspections, confiscation of counterfeit products and pursuing restraining orders against persistent offenders.

The council said shop owners who choose to sell illegal products “will often hide them in secret places such as under floors, behind walls and in attic spaces”.

Earlier this year, during enforcement activity at several shops in Sandwell, officers found a stash of vapes hidden in a hidden attic hatch, which was sniffed out by a tobacco sniffer dog. Other stores openly display illegal products.

Partnerships Inspector for Sandwell Daniel Allen said: “We are continuing our efforts to remove illegal vaping and counterfeit cigarettes from our streets and ultimately protect the public.

“Thanks to our partnership with Sandwell Council, we are disrupting wider criminal activity and protecting community wellbeing.”

Sandwell Council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for neighborhoods and communities, Councilor Suzanne Hartwell, said: “This successful operation demonstrates our partnership commitment to protecting residents by cracking down on the sale of illegal products.

“This work also helps protect law-abiding businesses from selling illegal goods, which can create an unfair trading environment for the vast majority of businesses that always follow the rules and buy and sell legal products.

“Retailers are becoming more sophisticated in their approach, but our message is clear – you can hide it, but we will find it.

“Furthermore, illegal tobacco and vaporizers can harm the health of our residents, so it is vital that we limit their availability.

“Illegal vapes are dangerous because they have not undergone safety testing and there can be severe risks, including releasing too much nicotine, banned substances or encouraging excessive consumption.”