Raids across Portsmouth sees items seized as authorities clamp down on criminal shops

Shop raids across the city saw items seized as authorities clamp down on money-laundering and criminal high street businesses.

Portsmouth Trading Standards officers completed a two-day enforcement operation, inspecting multiple premises across Southsea, Eastney, Buckland, North End and Cosham.

The raids for Operation Machinize, part of an ongoing NCA-coordinated project to tackle money laundering and criminal use of cash-intensive high street businesses, led to two arrests and a temporary shop closure. Portsmouth Police and The Nose Knows K9 assisted the operation.

Phones were also seized and stash vehicles removed from the road while multiple tobacco, vape and other counterfeit goods were confiscated, with officers uncovering goods concealed in a variety of locations, including vehicles and fridges, in apparent attempts to avoid detection.

A Portsmouth City Council post said: “Our message is simple: concealing illegal products will not prevent enforcement action.

“Operations like this form part of our continuing work to tackle the illegal trade in tobacco and related products across Portsmouth.”

The council would not say which shops the raids involved due to an ongoing investigation.

It comes as Vape Land, in Albert Road, Southsea, was closed earlier this month for selling illegal tobacco products from the premises.

If you have information about illegal products being sold locally, report it to Trading Standards to help us stop criminals operating in the high street.