A new taskforce has been set up to tackle counterfeit trading in Southall, bringing together Ealing Council and partner organisations in an ongoing effort to crack down on illegal traders.
This has already led to a series of raids that uncovered tonnes of dangerous and illegal goods at the Charles House industrial estate and surrounding area on Bridge Road.
The area – all of which is known locally as Charles House – is one of the country’s biggest centres for the importation and distribution of counterfeit goods, with fake and unsafe items sold across the UK previously traced back to the site.
Operation Linchpin is being led by Ealing Council’s trading standards team and is funded by National Trading Standards. It brings together a range of enforcement agencies to stop illegal traders, protect shoppers, and support honest businesses.
The operation will combine inspections, enforcement action, and education to deal with the long-standing criminal activity in the area.
The operation began with 2 major raids on the site.
Huge haul of goods seized
The latest raid took place on Thursday 3 September, when trading standards officers carried out inspections at businesses in Grand Union Enterprise Park. They were supported by more than 20 Metropolitan Police officers, alongside officers from the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Group, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Border Force, and 8 other council trading standards teams.
During the operation, officers seized 18.5 tonnes of illicit, unsafe, and non-compliant goods – enough to fill an entire large lorry. The haul included dangerous and illegal vapes, toys, and cosmetics that were destined to be sold to unwitting customers on high streets across the UK.
On previous occasions that officers have visited the site, several traders quickly pull down their shutters to stop inspections taking place. This time, the officers went prepared and used mechanical equipment to gain entry and recover illegal goods.
A significant quantity of non-duty paid shisha tobacco was also seized by HMRC officers. Investigations are continuing.
Dangerous toys removed from sale
The raid followed an earlier unannounced inspection on Tuesday 18 August, when trading standards officers seized more than 13,500 unsafe counterfeit toys from a wholesaler in Charles House.
The toys failed to meet legal safety requirements. They had no CE or UKCA safety markings, no manufacturer or importer details to trace where they came from, and no safety warnings. Many also carried well-known trademarks, including Avengers, Hello Kitty, and Lilo and Stitch, but were produced without permission from the trademark owners.
Selling unsafe and counterfeit goods can lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 years and an unlimited fine. Investigations in this case are ongoing.
This follows a previous raid at Charles House in February, which led to the seizure of around 15,000 poor quality, potentially dangerous Labubu dolls, amongst other items.
‘Stopping criminal traders’
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “Operation Linchpin shows that we are serious about stopping criminal traders who put shoppers at risk and damage honest businesses.
“Charles House has been a major part of the counterfeit goods industry across the country for many years, and several other forms of criminality have also been linked to the site.
“Anyone involved in selling counterfeit or dangerous products at Charles House should be under no illusion. This is not a one-off operation, and we will continue working with our partners to take action and get these dangerous goods off the market.”
Concerned about items you’ve bought?
Go to the Citizens Advice website to contact its consumer service.
You can anonymously report the illegal sale of vapes and tobacco products on the council’s website.
