Erdington police seize drugs and tobacco on ‘lawless’ high street

More than 50,000 illegal cigarettes and drugs have been seized by police on a high street once described by traders as “lawless”.

A dedicated police team deployed to Erdington High Street, Birmingham, last year because of high crime levels, discovered the cigarettes after carrying out a warrant at an unnamed premises on Thursday.

Working with Trading Standards, they also found more than 2.5kg of hand-rolling tobacco while searching the property, and a car linked to it, which was also confiscated.

The illicit goods had an estimated value of more than £40,000, police said, adding that investigating officers would be seeking to explore the shop’s closure.

Traders told the BBC in 2024 that daily shoplifting and drug-dealing was damaging trade.

The force started Operation Fearless in Erdington in January 2025 to crack down on criminality.

A dedicated neighbourhood team of six officers began patrols a few months later.

Last week, police also seized 27 wraps of suspected cocaine and heroin just off the high street, near Wilton Road, the West Midlands force said.

A male offender was given a community resolution in relation to the discovery, with an investigation into the drugs ongoing.