Police and Trading Standards Officers Uncover Hidden Wall of Shame: £30,000 in Illegal Cigarettes and Children’s Drugs Found in Romford Raid”

A joint operation between Havering Police and the borough’s Trading Standards team has resulted in the seizure of £30,000 worth of illegal cigarettes and hundreds of unsafe medical products.

The Havering Joint Task Force supported the London Borough of Havering’s Trading Standards in a targeted enforcement operation last week. The action led to the discovery of a concealed storage area inside a Romford premises where illicit cigarettes and medicines were being hidden.

Trading Standards officers also confiscated around 300 medical products that are not authorised for sale within the UK, some of which were aimed at children and young people.

Inspector Connolly said:
“Last week Havering Joint Task Force assisted the London Borough of Havering Trading Standards with an operation which saw the success of £30,000 worth of cigarettes seized. In addition to this Trading Standards also seized approximately 300 items relating to medical products that should not be sold within the UK. Some of these medical products were intended for children and young people. The lengths that some people will go to hide illegal products from authorities and put members of the public at risk is a constant reminder why it’s important for the police and Trading Standards to work together in partnership to keep the community safe. I would encourage residents to report any suspicious activity to the local authority, Trading Standards and sign up to www.metengage.co.uk which will allow you to contact your local SNT and receive regular updates.”

The successful operation highlights the continued partnership between Havering Joint Task Force and local Trading Standards officers in tackling the sale of counterfeit and unsafe goods across the borough.

Images released by Havering Police show a false wall used to conceal the illegal items.

Stay up to date with all of our latest updates and content by following us on our social media accounts!

We have created community pages where we will share our up-to-date stories happening in the area. Add the area closest to where you live.