Sniffer Dog Aids Discovery of Hundreds of Illicit Tablets

Police have announced the seizure of hundreds of tablets, believed to be potentially dangerous illegal imports, from a mini-market. Tablets for the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra and the painkiller Tramadol, which are typically only accessible through pharmacies or with a prescription, were discovered at the Wolverhampton shop with the assistance of a sniffer dog. The city council’s trading standards team initiated an inspection of the store after receiving reports that staff were involved in selling illegal vapes, tobacco, cigarettes, and shisha. West Midlands Police confirmed that no arrests have been made thus far as the investigation into the suspected illegal goods continues. The force also reported additional seizures at another establishment in the city, where 9,000 illegal vapes were located behind a locked toilet door and inside the owner’s car. Sgt Nicola Sephton stated, “I’m glad that we’ve been able to act on the information local people provided to get these items off the streets.” This operation was a joint effort between West Midlands Police and the council’s trading standards teams, and the seized drugs are scheduled for testing and subsequent destruction, according to officials. Councillor Zee Russell commented that the imported prescription drugs could be “extremely harmful or even fatal”. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.