Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards officers seized 220,000 illegal products in 2024.
Illicit tobacco, banned imported American candy, oversized vapes and unsafe or counterfeit goods are amongst the items removed from the market, estimated to be worth around £250,000.
The haul included 176,740 illicit cigarettes and 109kg of hand-rolling tobacco worth £123,000 seized from shops as part of Operation CeCe - a joint HMRC and National Trading Standards operation.
Also removed from the market were over 7,264 illegal or oversized vapes worth around £94,432 as part of Operation Joseph - a National Trading Standard’s initiative to tackle the supply and sale of illegal vapes and e-cigarettes.
As part of Operation Taste, officers have also been leading efforts to remove banned, illegal or harmful foods from the markets. These include banned imported American candy, snacks and drinks, products with incorrect or no allergen labelling, or foods where the origin is not known or clear.
During the past year, over 3,700 items were removed from the market in Staffordshire worth an estimated £10,300.
Victoria Wilson cabinet member responsible for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council commented: “These are significant amounts of illegal goods and tackling the supply of them and disrupting the criminal networks behind them remains a priority for the team. Making these seizures is vital work and not only prevents potentially harmful products from reaching consumers but also helps protect legitimate traders and the local economy.
“The team’s successes do rely on the support from the public about the sales of such goods and anyone with information should contact the team. Criminals should also remember that officers are never far away and will take the necessary action against any illegal activities.”
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