An operation uncovered a network of retailers using vehicles and nearby residential addresses to conceal illegal stock, Southend City Council said
Counterfeit Labubu dolls which failed to meet UK safety standards were among a haul of £45,000 worth of illegal goods seized in Southend in Essex.
An operation uncovered a network of retailers using vehicles and nearby residential addresses to conceal illegal stock, Southend City Council said.
Two vehicles acting as mobile delivery units were seized and crushed after evidence showed they were supplying shops and customers with illicit goods, the authority said.
The council’s Trading Standards team, together with Essex Police, seized illicit cigarettes, tobacco, vapes and counterfeit toys including popular Labubu and Pop Mart dolls.
In total, the goods seized are valued at around £45,000.
Enforcement action is under way and could include fines, closure orders or criminal prosecution.
Councillor Martin Terry, cabinet member for community safety and regulatory services, said: “Southend-on-Sea City Council will not tolerate illegal trading that puts public safety at risk and undermines honest local businesses.”
Last month, the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) said that fake toys worth more than £3.5 million have been seized at the UK border already this year.
The IPO said that 75% of them failed critical safety tests.
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