Thousands of Illegal cigarettes and £40k of fake goods seized after Wolverhampton home raid
Tens of thousands of cigarette packets being sold illegally from a house in Wolverhampton have been seized after a raid by officers.
Wolverhampton council had received reports that cigarettes were being sold illegally from a home, in Low Hill, and went to investigate with tobacco sniffer dog Scamp.
A 'shocking' variety of fake and genuine cigarettes - which have avoided UK duty were discovered.
Along with West Midlands Police, a trademark expert and specialist search dogs, the team inspected the entire house to search for hidden tobacco.
WATCH Investigators discover the haul
And an estimated £40,000 worth of fake goods were found stored in garden sheds, as well as bedrooms and the living room of the property.
Officers seized more than 70,000 fake cigarette and tobacco packets for further examination.
Cabinet member for city environment Councillor Steve Evans said: "This is part of our ongoing operation to tackle the sale of illicit and counterfeit tobacco.
"Selling and supplying counterfeit tobacco is a serious crime that not only robs the public purse of much needed revenue, but also poses a real threat to public health.
"Today is a perfect example of the hard work that is being undertaken by our trading standards team and the fantastic work we do with sniffer dogs who play a vital role in our success."
Council officers also contacted West Midlands Fire Service after finding a large amount of fireworks stored in the garden shed.
Due to the resident not having a license to sell them, the fireworks were also seized.
Footage courtesy of BBC Midlands Today
