Inspectors sent to Wolverhampton shop over illegal tobacco stunned to make 'potentially fatal' find

Some of the cigarettes and drugs seized from the shop
-Credit: (Image: WMP)


A Wolverhampton mini-market has been busted with hundreds of suspected 'illegal drugs' after a trading standards and police raid. The joint operation uncovered 'dangerous illegal imports', including Viagra and prescription drug Tramadol, an opioid pain medication, inside the Heath Town store.

Inspectors had visited the shop after reports of staff selling illegal vapes, tobacco, cigarettes and shisha. The City of Wolverhampton Council’s Trading Standards team went to the address on Monday, November 18, and also found suspected cannabis, tobacco, vapes and cash.

The suspected illegal drugs were found at the shop on Cannock Road with the help of a sniffer dog. Councillor Zee Russell shared her concerns over "extremely harmful or even fatal" prescription drugs being found after attending the visits.

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Cllr Russell, chair of the council’s Statutory Licensing Committee and Regulatory Committee, said: “Days like this show us why it is so important to keep speaking to our community and respond to their reports.

“We don’t know what these shops are selling to our children, and the imported prescription drugs could be extremely harmful or even fatal.” The visits and seizures took place on Monday 18 November. The items, including the drugs, will be tested and destroyed.

The Heath Town store was just one of three shops visited as part of the operation to stop antisocial behaviour, West Midlands Police said. Police also raided shops on Wednesfield Road and Dudley Road, Graiseley, seizing 9,000 illegal vapes from behind a locked toilet door and inside the shop owner’s car.

The force said: "Disposable vapes must have a tank capacity of no more than 2ml and a maximum of 650 puffs. It is likely that anything over 650 puffs will contain more than the legal limit and must not be on sale."

Wolverhampton Police is working with the council to target shops where people had told trading standards that staff were selling to underage customers. No arrests have been made at this time and the ongoing investigation into the suspected illegal goods is being led by council staff.

Sgt Nicola Sephton, from Wolverhampton Police said: “Antisocial behaviour can often be fuelled by drink, drugs and other items that shops sell illegally or irresponsibly. I’m glad that we’ve been able to act on the information local people provided to get these items off the streets.”

Have you been affected by this? You can contact us by emailing stephanie.balloo@reachplc.com