THC-laced sweets designed to look like children’s confectionery were seized from shops in Walsall during a major crackdown on the town’s illicit tobacco market.
Three retail premises and one vehicle were raided at the start of the month after intelligence suggested illegal tobacco was being sold.
Illegal goods were found in two of the three shops, as well as in the vehicle, reported Walsall Council.
Police officers confiscated a stash of ‘Medicated Nerds Rope Bites’ sweets infused with cannabis drug THC. The brightly coloured packaging was designed to “imitate children’s confectionery”, posing a significant risk to young people, said the council.
One store contained a purpose-built, magnetic concealment door hidden in the storeroom. Inside, officers uncovered over 2,000 illegal cigarettes.
In another store, police seized drugs and arrested a male on suspicion of possessing cannabis with intent to supply.
The joint operation, involving Walsall Trading Standards, West Midlands Police, and specialist search dog teams, formed part of Operation CeCe, a national Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC, aimed at “disrupting and dismantling” the illicit tobacco trade.
Councillor Adam Hicken of Walsall Council said: “Allowing this sort of crime to go on in Walsall is simply not an option. Trading Standards have adopted a strong approach to these matters and will use every enforcement technique at their disposal to disrupt this type of activity, and I commend them for their tenacity.”
No comments yet