Dudley Council have issued a statement following a BBC investigation concerning illegal activities on the borough’s high streets.
The statement reads as follows:
”Residents may have seen media coverage relating to illegal vapes and activities on High Streets across the country, including Dudley borough.
“Our Trading Standards Team has recently worked with the BBC to support them in highlighting the national issue of criminality and the illegal sale of vapes on our high streets, and the work we are doing locally to combat it.
“We are proud to say that since August 2024 Dudley Council has worked with local police, landlords and businesses delivering targeted action through its campaign, Operation Clearance, to rid the borough of businesses run by organised crime.
“The council has delivered some of the strongest enforcement outcomes in the country and to date 42 shops have been successfully closed with this proactive approach, meaning the number of premises operated by organised crime groups has fallen dramatically.
“Our partnership working with the police and other agencies is robust and effective as we work to protect our communities and uphold Dudley’s reputation as a safe and proud borough to live and work in.
“We will continue to work closely with local police, landlords, businesses and residents to take action through strong joint working.
“Three shops mentioned in a recent media broadcast are known to our Trading Standards Team following our own recent test purchase exercise. Action has already been taken, which includes working with landlords on the tenancy and working with police on any criminal matters.”
West Midlands Police have also arrested a number of people as they continue to work to tackle drug dealing across the West Midlands. As part of response to information received about drug dealing in shops, officers carried out warrants alongside Trading Standards colleagues at two shops and a flat on Cradley High Street.
Following the warrants, two men aged 42 and 29 were arrested on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs, while a woman aged 56 was arrested on suspicion of possession of Class A drugs.
As part of the same investigation, three men aged 51, 21, and 19, were arrested in Oldbury earlier in the day on suspicion of supplying Class A drugs.
In Dudley, a man and woman had already been arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs through shops.
Several items were seized as part of the investigation, including suspected drugs and paraphernalia, suspected counterfeit cigarettes, suspected counterfeit cash, and a number of electronic items including phones and laptops.
Enquiries are continuing as police seek to act swiftly against drug dealing through shops and reassure communities in Dudley, Sandwell, and across the wider region, that illegal activities will not be tolerated.
Drugs not only ruin lives but fuel further crime. Police carry out both visible enforcement, and activities which are not always visible to the public, to disrupt and combat the scourge of drugs.
This includes increased patrols in areas where intelligence suggests there may be criminal activity to identify, arrest and prosecute those involved.
If there's evidence of criminal activity, or links to organised crime, officers will always look to secure charges and seek closure orders on premises.
West Midlands Police are urging anyone with information to contact them or partner agencies, as the more evidence and intelligence received means a better opportunity of combating any illegal activities.
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