70 cannisters of laughing gas and 60,000 cigarettes seized in Walsall Trading Standards operation

On 9 October 2025 Walsall Trading Standards working in partnership with West Midlands Police uncovered illegal cigarettes, hand-rolling tobacco, and nitrous oxide cannisters, also known as laughing gas, across five separate locations in Walsall.

This activity was part of Operation CeCe, a National Trading Standards initiative in cooperation with HMRC aimed at tackling illegal tobacco.  The visits were intelligence-led, targeting premises suspected of storing illicit tobacco products.

Illegal goods were found at all premises searched, plus a storage container and a vehicle. The vehicle was found to be untaxed and upon gaining entry, officers discovered the nitrous oxide cannisters, which is often misused as a recreational drug. 

During the operation, the Trading Standards team, with the assistance of highly trained sniffer dogs Griff, Bran, and Cooper, seized over 60,000 cigarettes and 5 kilograms of illegal hand-rolling tobacco.

In one store, cigarettes were found in the ceiling and in a box concealed under toys and crisps.  One store had a lock up facility in the yard which concealed almost 22,000 illegal cigarettes. After searching the yard, Griff sniffed out where the tobacco was being stored. 

Further investigations continue to clamp down on illegal products. 

Lord Michael Bichard, Chair, National Trading Standards, said, “The illicit tobacco trade is driven by organised criminal gangs and poses serious risks to local communities, especially young people. Since its launch in January 2021, Operation CeCe – a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC – has removed 69 million illegal cigarettes, 19,750kg of hand-rolling tobacco and almost 175kg of shisha products from sale, helping to clamp down on this illicit trade and protect communities and honest businesses across the UK.” 

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