More than 18 tonnes of counterfeit and illegal goods have been seized in a raid led by Ealing Council’s trading standards team at a Southall industrial estate.
The 18.5-tonne haul, described as enough to fill a large lorry, was recovered from businesses at Grand Union Enterprise Park on Bridge Road earlier this month (3 September 2026). It included illegal and non-compliant vapes, toys and cosmetics which the council says were destined for sale on high streets across the UK.
It formed part of Operation Linchpin, a new taskforce targeting counterfeit trading at Charles House and the surrounding Bridge Road area in Southall.
More than 20 Metropolitan Police officers took part alongside Ealing trading standards officers, with support from City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Group, HM Revenue and Customs, Border Force and trading standards teams from eight other councils.
Charles House has been linked to the supply of unsafe and counterfeit goods across the UK. Ealing Council said complaints about goods originating from the Southall site have come from as far away as South Wales and the Highlands of Scotland.
Officers used mechanical equipment to gain entry to premises after traders had pulled down their shutters to prevent inspections during previous visits, according to the council.
HMRC officers also seized a significant quantity of shisha tobacco on which duty had not been paid. Investigations are continuing.
The latest action follows an unannounced inspection at Charles House last month (18 August 2026), when more than 13,500 unsafe counterfeit toys were seized from a wholesaler.
The council said the toys had no CE or UKCA safety markings, manufacturer or importer details or safety warnings. Many carried well-known trademarks including Avengers, Hello Kitty and Lilo and Stitch without permission from the trademark owners.
A previous raid at Charles House in February 2026 resulted in around 15,000 poor-quality and potentially dangerous Labubu dolls being seized, along with other items.
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes, said: “Charles House has been a major part of the counterfeit goods industry across the country for many years, and several other forms of criminality have also been linked to the site.
“Anyone involved in selling counterfeit or dangerous products at Charles House should be under no illusion. This is not a one-off operation.”
Sergeant Patrick McDonagh, of the Metropolitan Police’s Norwood Green and Dormers Wells Safer Neighbourhood Team, said: “By removing illegal goods and disrupting those who profit from crime, we are sending a clear message that this type of activity will not be tolerated.”
