More than 60,000 illegal cigarettes seized as council crackdown on illicit tobacco products
Walsall Council's trading standards team have seized more than £70,000 of illegal tobacco products from traders across Walsall.
On Monday, February 9, Walsall Trading Standards, West Midlands Police and a specialist dog team searched six retail premises in the borough and seized more than 65,000 cigarettes, 13kg of hand-rolling tobacco and 700 disposable vapes.
All six premises were chosen on the basis of intelligence received from Trading Standards, indicating that illegal products were being sold.
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At three of the premises, illegal products were discovered, including further discoveries in two associated vehicles.
In one shop, Griff the sniffer dog uncovered a 'secret room' containing thousands of illegal cigarettes, tobacco and single-use vapes, which were banned in 2025.
Walsall Council said that the carefully hidden storeroom, which included a sofa and a laptop, could only have been detected using a 'highly trained and skilful' sniffer dog such as Griff.
Elsewhere, officers also recovered illegal tobacco concealed in unusual locations, including a toilet cistern and a wastepaper bin.
The effort forms part of Operation Fearless, a coordinated effort by Trading Standards, as well as West Midlands Police, Public Health, and other partner agencies, to crack down on the illicit tobacco trade.
Councillor Adam Hicken, portfolio holder for enforcement and safe communities, said: "Allowing this sort of crime to go on in Walsall is simply not an option. I want to thank the Trading Standards team, West Midlands Police, and of course Griff, Bran and Cooper for their hard work in sniffing out these products and getting them off our streets.
“Tobacco bought illegally is often linked to organised crime, including human trafficking, drugs and even terrorism.
“Trading Standards have taken a strong approach to this issue and will continue to use every enforcement technique available to disrupt it. I commend them for their tenacity.
“Products like these can lead to anti-social behaviour and damage our community, so removing them is vital."
