Massive counterfeit haul in raid on Rotherham village shop

Fake: Illict goods undermine legitimate traders

A SWOOP on a Rotherham shop by police and trading standards staff has netting a massive haul of counterfeit goods - just a month after a similar success in a neighbouring community.

However, the total value of goods - thought to be around £370,000 - from a shop in Dinnington dwarfs the previous operation, where items valued at £30,000 were seized.

The latest operation was mounted in response to information passed on by members of the public and used by South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Council’s trading standards officers to mount a joint raid on the premises.

Officers from the Rotherham South Neighbourhood Policing Team and council colleagues discovered large quantities of counterfeit goods at the address, including vapes, headphones and other electronic devices.

Danger: Fake vapes may contain harmful substances

Items like vapes can pose a health risk to users, because the substances used in their production are not regulated and may contain contaminants.

Electrical goods may also pose a risk to users, and are likely to be of inferior quality to the ‘named’ items they copy.

Rotherham South NPT Inspector Darren Birley said: “The products seized were undercutting legitimate businesses and, in the case of the counterfeit vapes, posed a potential health risk.

“This joint operation with Rotherham Council is part of our ongoing partner work to ensure the safety of our local communities.

“Working together on the issues that matter the most to local communities is what pushes us to achieve results like these.

“The hard work does not stop, and we will continue to focus on this issue.

“The information provided by members of the public is vital in helping us gather intelligence, carry out inspections and execute warrants.”

The success comes after an operation at a shop in Swallownest, again conducted jointly, where vapes, liquids and cartridges were discovered, along with illegal cigarettes.

That too was the result of investigating information passed on by members of the public, fed up with anti-social behaviour in the area linked to the premises.

Police are now appealing for those with information about the suspected sale of illicit vapes or tobacco products from shops to call 101. To report a business to Trading Standards visit the webpage: Report a business to Trading Standards – Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council