Illegal goods worth £10,000 seized in Buckinghamshire during national crackdown
Illegal goods worth more than £10,000 have been seized from businesses in Buckinghamshire during a major national operation to tackle high street crime.
As part of Operation Machinize 2, Buckinghamshire Council’s Trading Standards team joined forces with the National Crime Agency, Thames Valley Police and other partners to carry out targeted inspections in Chesham and High Wycombe. The operation focused on businesses suspected of selling counterfeit and illegal products.
Specialist tobacco detection dogs were deployed during the inspections, which led to the seizure of:
- 560 individual cigarettes
- 500g of hand-rolling tobacco
- 68 packs of niche tobacco
- 1,675 vapes
- 8 Labubu dolls (popular designer toys and collectible figures from "The Monsters" series)
The estimated total value of these goods is £10,161.
Mark Winn, Cabinet Member for Housing & Regulatory Services, said:
"Illegal goods not only harm legitimate businesses but also pose serious health risks to consumers. These products often bypass safety standards, meaning people could be putting themselves in danger without even realising it. This operation demonstrates our determination to work with partners to protect our communities, uphold the law and send a clear message: we will not tolerate criminal activity on our high streets."
Trading Standards will continue to work closely with enforcement agencies to identify and disrupt criminal activity in Buckinghamshire.
If you suspect a business is selling illegal goods, you can report it anonymously via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133 or on the Citizens Advice website.