A North London trading standards team recovered more than £1.7 million from the proceeds of crime last year, including over £650,000 linked to two illegal property conversions.
The figures were revealed during a recent meeting of the Trading Standards Joint Advisory Board for Brent and Harrow, where councillors were updated on enforcement work carried out between April 2025 and April 2026. During the period, the joint trading standards service received more than 4,000 service requests and conducted 612 investigations, including 384 in Brent and 228 in Harrow.
According to the annual report, nine confiscation orders resulted in more than £1.7 million being recovered from criminal activity. Around 12.5 per cent of the recovered money could be returned to the councils.
Amid this, illegal tobacco sales remain the major issue across both boroughs, say trading standards officers.
More than 68,300 cigarettes, 3.6kg of rolling tobacco and significant quantities of paan and shisha tobacco were seized during inspections over the past year. Officers found illicit tobacco products being sold not only in newsagents but also in businesses including butcher shops, coffee bean roasters and hairdressers.
Brent Council’s Senior Regulatory Service Manager, Anu Prashar, said the service uses an intelligence-led approach to target traders responsible for the highest levels of criminal activity. She said, criminals use ‘triage system’ where resources are focused on businesses causing the greatest harm to consumers and those generating the largest losses through illegal trading.
The report highlighted how officers, often working alongside police and HM Revenue and Customs, carried out inspections at 57 businesses across the two boroughs. Test purchases were conducted at 11 premises, leading to further investigations in some cases.
Ms Prashar said traders selling illicit tobacco products often go to great lengths to hide stock. Using sniffer dogs, officers have discovered illegal products concealed in wheelie bins, behind false walls, and inside fridges and freezers.
The report warned that illegally imported tobacco products often lack the correct health warnings and may contain unknown substances. Officers also seized smokeless tobacco products such as paan, as well as oral tobacco products that are banned in the UK.
Five trading standards cases concluded in court during the year which resulting in combined fines of £10,200 and costs of £8,200. The service also investigates product safety issues, scams and doorstep crime.
In one case, officers worked with the Suffolk ports team after identifying a Brent trader importing travel cots and strollers through Felixstowe. By advising the business on correct product labelling requirements, the team estimated it prevented losses of around £20,000.
Trading standards officers also supported vulnerable residents affected by scams and rogue traders. One case resulted in a confiscation order worth £133,500 relating to fraudulent roof repair work. The report noted a significant rise in complaints about locksmiths, with concerns mainly focused on unclear pricing and excessive charges.
Officers also carried out test purchasing operations for age-restricted products. The report found that 90.48 per cent of businesses refused sales to underage customers.
However, two businesses were prosecuted for selling nicotine inhaling products to children and were fined a combined £2,200.
