Illegal tobacco products worth thousands seized

Sniffer dog Griff discovered a purpose-built wall concealment hiding illegal tobacco products in one shop

Illegal cigarettes, tobacco and vapes have been seized from traders in Walsall, with the haul thought to have a retail value of about £20,000.

West Midlands Police and Walsall Trading Standards searched five shops and a car in an operation that used sniffer dogs.

The illicit items included more than 10,000 cigarettes, 700 vapes and 2kg (70.54oz) of hand-rolling tobacco.

By law, vapes should contain 600 puffs, but a number of those found contained as many as 15,000 puffs.

The goods were hidden under shop counters, within shelving and in store rooms.

In one shop, a sniffer dog discovered a purpose-built wall concealment containing contraband.

The seizures of 8 May were part of Operation CeCe, a national Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC to tackle illegal tobacco.

"Tobacco bought on the illegal market is more likely to be the result of organised criminal activity, which brings crime into Walsall and exploits vulnerable people," said Garry Perry, Walsall's deputy council leader.

"Many traders are prepared to sell to children and get them hooked on smoking and vaping which is unacceptable and dangerous."