Officers seize £1m worth of illegal vapes, tobacco and drugs in Birmingham off-licence raid
Thousands of illegal vapes and tobacco, as well as counterfeit and unlicensed drugs, have been seized in a £1m raid at a shop on Erdington High Street.
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Believed to be one of the biggest of its kind in Birmingham, Monday's raid uncovered 7,545 vapes along with 134kg of tobacco and 329,740 cigarettes.
Police and trading standards officers also uncovered more than 300 boxes of imported prescription drugs which have not been cleared for use in the UK, along with £1,000 cash.
Items were found hidden behind a fake wall in the shop as well as in a flat protected by a metal door.
A number of people were spoken to about the recoveries at the shop and investigations continue.
The total value of the recoveries is believed to be around £1m.
Detective Inspector Tom Lyons said: "This was great working between partners to disrupt the supply of illegal goods in Erdington.
"Counterfeit and illicit tobacco can be dangerous, as can imported prescription drugs which are not cleared for use in the UK.
"We are committed to working with Birmingham City Council’s Trading Standards team, HMRC and other partners to prevent harm to communities in whatever form it takes.”
Councillor Sam Forsyth, Chair of Licensing and Public Protection Committee, said: "This latest seizure demonstrates the continued efforts by all partners to remove dangerous and illicit goods, so they no longer pose a threat within our communities.
"This positive outcome is another step in the right direction towards targeting organised crime groups and we will continue working in partnership with West Midlands Police to protect the public."
