Illegal vapes and fake goods worth £1.4m seized

An estimated £1.4m worth of illegal vapes and counterfeit goods were seized in a West Midlands raid.

Walsall Trading Standards officers, along with specialist sniffer dogs, carried out the raid on two retail premises and a warehouse in the borough.

They found over 9,000 illegal vapes and 1,200 items of fake clothing, as well as illegal cigarettes and tobacco.

Walsall Trading Standards said that the raid is estimated to be the largest they have carried out.

The items, which also included watches, footwear brands such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton, have been taken to secure storage while investigations continue.

"This is a serious result and sends a clear message that Walsall will not tolerate illegal trading," said councillor Adam Hicken.

"These counterfeit and illegal products don't just threaten consumer safety, they damage legitimate local businesses and help fund organised crime," he added.

This raid was part of nationwide Operation CeCe, which is a joint initiative between National Trading Standards and HMRC.

Investigations into the case are ongoing.

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