People and communities
Combatting the trade of illegal goods
Published on
Colleagues in Trading Standards and West Midlands Police’s St Matthew’s Neighbourhood Team have been working collaboratively over the last few years to disrupt the activities of rogue traders selling illegal goods, enhancing community safety and preventing crime.
The teams act on intelligence received and work together to carry out operations across Walsall and ensure there is no breach of the peace and officers are kept safe. Through this partnership work, they have been able to increase problem solving, analyse risks and share their skills, knowledge and expertise.
Since January 2024, visits have been made to traders persistently selling illegal tobacco, leading to the closure of two stores. This came after several seizures of illegal goods and working with landlords to end agreements with rogue tenants.
After visits to approximately 20 traders and one storage yard, Trading Standards and the police have been successful in seizing illegal vapes, tobacco and cigarettes with a retail value of over £335,000. Specialist tobacco and vapes search dogs have assisted the teams. Many of the empty boxes of seized illegal vapes were then used in a collaborative creative art project by Walsall College earlier this summer, which saw the installation of a vapes model depicting a pair of lungs and a heart to highlight the harms of vaping.
Other collaborative work has included seizures of hundreds of unsafe Apple/Samsung phone accessories and counterfeit toys and accessories such as handbags, hats and sunglasses from ten shops in Walsall town centre.
Trading Standards and the police also continue to advise businesses in the town centre on laws relating to age restricted goods (such as knives, alcohol and cigarettes), and offer further information to increase awareness and compliance with the law.
“ I want to thank our Trading Standards team and West Midlands Police for their ongoing efforts to combat the illegal trade in our borough. Their work helps to reduce and prevent crime and improve community safety for everyone.
We are committed to tackling illegal trading, regularly carrying out enforcement visits to traders within St Matthew’s ward. The ambition is for Walsall to be more secure and resilient, and this is only possible with the involvement and support of colleagues across different organisations and the wider community. “
“ Illegal trading can also breed other areas of criminal activity and vulnerability and together with partners my town teams are committed to making positive changes to Walsall over the months ahead.
We will continue to support the Trading Standards team in their efforts to combat rogue traders selling illegal goods in Walsall and will be increasing our operational activity within the town as the nights draw darker. “
Residents can find out more about the work of Trading Standards and how to report traders by going to https://go.walsall.gov.uk/business/trading-standards
ENDS
Notes to editor
- In addition to the work carried out in the St Matthew’s area, traders are also visited by the teams across the borough to offer advice and check compliance.
- A powerful visual installation crafted from the empty boxes of illegal vapes was unveiled at Walsall College in June 2024. To read more visit our newsroom: https://go.walsall.gov.uk/newsroom/creative-visual-installation-highlights-harms-vaping-walsall
