12 major seizures of fake and illegal goods across Staffordshire in 2025 crackdown - including vapes, Labubu dolls and cigarettes
Illegal vapes, dangerous counterfeit children’s toys and thousands of pounds worth of illicit cigarettes have been seized by Trading Standards officers in Staffordshire this year.
The crackdown has led to more than 10,000 unsafe or non-compliant products being removed from sale across Staffordshire.
Among the items seized were more than 800 fake Labubu dolls taken from a local market, which were found to be unsafe and illegal.
Officers also confiscated 16,455 illegal disposable vapes, along with illicit cigarettes and tobacco worth almost £400,000.
In total, more than 312,000 illegal cigarettes and over 85kg of hand-rolling tobacco were taken off the streets, dealing a major blow to the black market.
Trading Standards teams have also been working to protect vulnerable residents as over the same period, 139 people received support to help them avoid falling victim to scams or rogue traders.
The council’s animal health officers were also kept busy, rescuing 118 livestock animals and preventing further suffering and welfare issues.
The 12 major seizures of fakes, frauds, scams across Staffordshire in 2025 are:
10,069 unsafe and non-compliant products, valued at £262,897, removed from the marketplace or brought to compliance
840 counterfeit and dangerous Labubu dolls seized from Penkridge Market in August raid
£399,656 of illicit tobacco profits taken out of the black market
16,455 disposable vapes seized
312,310 illicit cigarettes seized
85,610 grammes of illegal hand-rolling tobacco seized
115 illicit cigars seized
139 vulnerable people provided with support to avoid becoming victims of scams or rogue traders
118 livestock animals prevented from suffering further welfare issues
114 Food premises checked for food safety
87% of businesses visited that were either compliant when visited or brought into compliance
59 animal feed premises checked for animal feed safety
Anthony Screen, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience at Staffordshire County Council, said: "Keeping Staffordshire safe is our top priority and this year’s results show the vital role Trading Standards plays in protecting our communities.
"Teams continue to tackle the sale of illegal, illicit or fake goods, taking action against those businesses and rogue traders caught selling them. Every item seized and removed from the market and every shop closed down is a result.
"Buying such items may seem harmless enough but it’s never a good idea. It’s usually organised crime gangs who benefit, with profits fuelling gang activity. You can also end up with dangerous or poor-quality products and ultimately out of pocket. Anyone with concerns about the sale of illegal goods should contact the service."
Anyone can report concerns about illegal or counterfeit goods online through Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards “Report It” service, or by calling the confidential helpline on 01785 330356.
