Over £100,000-worth of counterfeit goods seized

Officers have seized over £100,000-worth of counterfeit goods after a flat was searched in Stoke-on-Trent.

On Monday 1 September, two PCSOs were patrolling around Market Street, Longton, when they saw three men acting suspiciously.

They were searched, leading to the discovery of a large amount of counterfeit cigarettes.

A flat in the area was then searched alongside colleagues from Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s Trading Standards team. We seized:

• 5,525 packets of illicit cigarettes, worth an estimated £94,000
• 906 packets of illicit tobacco, worth an estimated £18,000
• 484 illegal vapes, worth an estimated £4,000.

Inspector Rebecca Price, from the Stoke-on-Trent south local policing team (LPT), said: “We are committed to tackling the trade of illicit and illegal goods in Stoke-on-Trent.

“These items are often used by organised crime groups to fund criminal activity and can pose serious health risks to local communities.”

Councillor Amjid Wazir OBE, cabinet member for city pride, enforcement and sustainability at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We will not tolerate the sale of illegal tobacco and vapes, and I welcome this action taken by Staffordshire Police and our Trading Standards team. They work hard to remove illegal tobacco and vapes off the streets to keep all residents safe and make sure legal businesses are not being undermined.

“This work is part of the city council’s commitment to creating a cleaner, greener and safer city for all and the message we are sending out is clear: you will face serious consequences if you choose to sell illegal products.”