PRE-Christmas operations by Ealing Council and the police led to the seizure of a vast amount of counterfeit and illicit items, including Chanel and Gucci goods.

There were two separate intelligence-led operations, the most recent being Operation Sharp on December 19 and a series of week-long raids which concluded on December 8.

Operation Sharp visited several Southall businesses, which uncovered unsafe plugs and counterfeit mobile phone accessories, including batteries.

Trading standards officers and police found one business had dumped its illicit stock outside the premises and disappeared.

Overall, 4,797 items of mobile accessories were taken from four premises in Bridge Road, including 3,300 counterfeit batteries which are now being examined for safety reasons.
 
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The week-long operation which finished on December 8 targeted smuggled alcohol and tobacco, as well as counterfeit goods.

Several licensed premises were visited with particular attention given to shisha, late-night refreshment and off-licence venues.   
 
Trading standards carried out the seizures while HM Revenue & Customs led the shisha raids.
 
The operations seized the following:

  • 11,740 cigarettes
  • 7.92kgs of Indian tobacco
  • 2.90kgs of loose tobacco
  • 12.6lts of alcohol
  • 95kgs of shisha 
  • 2112 Chanel counterfeit items
  • 162 Gucci counterfeit items

Several fake Chanel electric lamps were seized as they posed a high risk of fire or electrocution.  
 
Ealing’s food safety team, as part of the week-long operation, inspected nine businesses (five restaurants and four shops/off licences) in Southall.

During the inspections, a number of offences were identified, including inadequate disinfection, poor cross-contamination, poor structural standards and out-of-date products on sale. 
 
A total of two notices (pests in food preparation areas and inadequate cooling practices) were served on food businesses, where revisits will be carried out in the coming weeks.
 
Sgt Graham Edwards said: "Smuggled and counterfeit alcohol is a very serious issue and it places innocent members of the public at a risk of serious harm.”