00:00Police say more than 50,000 illegal cigarettes, drugs and hand-rolling tobacco worth more than £40,000
00:06have been seized in Erdington as officers continue a crackdown on crime along the high street.
00:13West Midlands Police say the cigarettes were discovered during a warrant at an unnamed premises
00:18carried out with trading standards.
00:21Officers also found more than two and a half kilograms of hand-rolling tobacco
00:25while a car linked to the property was confiscated.
00:29Police say they will now explore whether the premises can be closed through the courts.
00:34The operation follows long-standing concerns about crime in the area.
00:39Traders have previously complained that daily shoplifting and drug dealing were damaging businesses
00:45with some describing the high street as lawless.
00:50West Midlands Police launched Operation Fearless in Erdington in January 2025
00:55before a dedicated neighbourhood team of six officers began patrols a few months later.
01:02Police say 27 wraps of suspected cocaine and heroin were also seized near Wilton Road.
01:09A male offender received a community resolution in connection with that discovery.
01:13While inquiries into the drugs continue.
01:17Sergeant Claire Millard says local people value a visible police presence
01:22and that information from residents has helped officers target concerns around drugs and illicit goods.
