1,600 illegal vapes and 5,600 bogus cigarettes seized in Birmingham as 'Operation Cloud' nears £7m of confiscations
Birmingham City Council's 'Operation Cloud' initiative has successfully targeted several illegal goods sellers across the city.
The latest operation in collaboration with West Midlands Police resulted in seizures of 1,666 illegal vapes, 5,624 packets of counterfeit cigarettes and 992 packets of illicit tobacco pouches, with a combined estimated street value of £125,000.
Launched in September 2024, Operation Cloud is a city-wide crackdown on the distribution of illicit vapes, nitrous oxide, counterfeit tobacco, and other illegal products that pose serious risks to public health and safety. To date, the operation has removed nearly £7 million worth of illegal goods from circulation.
Police executed warrants at a business premises in Kings Heath last month, also targeting two vehicles linked to the operation.
The coordinated action resulted in the seizure of 40 large nitrous oxide bottles and associated paraphernalia, 600 illicit vapes, 17 packets of oral snuff and 80 unlicensed erectile dysfunction tablets.
One vehicle was seized, and police forced entry to the second. A male was also arrested at the scene.
The council's trading standards team and West Midlands Police visited the same premises in November 2024 and seized a number of illicit goods.
A three-month closure order has now been issued for the premises based on concerns from the community about anti-social behaviour.
Yesterday (August 7) the council's trading standards team continued to intensify operations with two further enforcement actions under Operation Cloud in Erdington.
Both premises were identified through new intelligence and were visited with the support of a trained detection dog.
Officers also accessed a vehicle that was storing illegal goods, which was seized at the scene.
Councillor Jamie Tennant, cabinet member for social justice, community safety and equalities, said: "This latest raid demonstrated our unwavering commitment to protecting Birmingham's communities from the dangers of illegal goods. These products were not only harmful to individuals – particularly young people – but also fuelled anti-social behaviour and criminal activity in our neighbourhoods."
