More than £546,000 of illegal tobacco and vapes seized from Birmingham shops since October

More than £546,000 worth of illegal tobacco, unregulated vapes and other unsafe goods has been taken off Birmingham's high streets since the start of October, in a crackdown that included what is believed to be one of the largest single-shop tobacco seizures ever recorded in the city.

The figures were published by Birmingham City Council on 9 November. They come from Operation Cloud, in which the council's Trading Standards officers work alongside Birmingham police and specialist partners to raid premises suspected of selling illicit and counterfeit products.

Cigarettes hidden under the floorboards

The biggest haul came from a warrant at premises in Sparkhill. Officers found illegal products both in the shop and hidden beneath the floorboards of the accommodation above it. The operation, carried out by Trading Standards, the police and Warwickshire Tobacco Specialists, led to four arrests and the search of two flats.

The council says officers seized 15,497 packets of cigarettes, which is 309,940 individual cigarettes, valued at £247,952. Alongside them were 1,468 packets of hand-rolling tobacco worth £67,528, 232 nitrous oxide canisters worth £11,600, 1,478 containers of snuff and 23 counterfeit lipsticks. The total value of the goods taken from that one address was £353,271.

A separate raid in the city centre found 93 packets of illicit cigarettes and 93 illegal vapes, worth more than £2,000 between them.

Raids across the city

Earlier visits took officers to four premises in Handsworth and Bordesley Green. Nothing illegal was found at the Handsworth address, but two shops in Bordesley Green yielded thousands of cigarettes, packets of black naswar and other smokeless oral tobacco, nitrous oxide canisters, hand-rolling tobacco and unlicensed erectile dysfunction products. Two people were arrested, one in connection with the sale of nitrous oxide and another after suspected cannabis was found.

In October, five more trade premises were raided across Lozells, Erdington and Handsworth as officers targeted businesses suspected of supplying illicit and counterfeit goods.

"Fairness matters"

Councillor Harris Khaliq, Cabinet Member for City Services and Digital at Birmingham City Council, said the work was about protecting shoppers and honest traders alike.

"Every resident should be able to shop with confidence, knowing that the products being sold in their local community are safe, legal and meet the standards people rightly expect," he said.

"These seizures are about protecting consumers and families from illegal goods that can pose serious risks, while ensuring honest businesses are not placed at a disadvantage by those who choose to break the law."

"Fairness matters. Businesses that follow the rules should be able to compete on a level playing field, and residents should have confidence that action is being taken when illegal activity threatens their communities."

He added that the removal of more than half a million pounds' worth of illicit products since the beginning of October "demonstrates the strength of our partnership approach and the determination of our enforcement teams."

Why it matters

Illegal cigarettes and vapes are not just a tax problem. They are sold without the safety checks that legal products must pass, they are often sold to children, and the cheap prices undercut the corner shops and newsagents that play by the rules. Counterfeit cosmetics and unlicensed medicines can carry real health risks of their own.

The council says the operations are part of ongoing work to tackle high street crime and make sure legitimate businesses are not undercut by traders operating outside the law. Anyone with concerns about a shop selling illicit tobacco, vapes or counterfeit goods can report it through the Citizens Advice consumer helpline, which passes reports to Trading Standards.