Police raids conducted across Woolwich

Police have raided a number of sites across Woolwich and Plumstead including Herbert Road and Woolwich town centre looking for counterfeit goods.

Greenwich Council were also involved with one business searched being Maistas & Gerimai on Herbert Road. They had been been prosecuted in 2018 for similar offences of counterfeit goods.

Three people were arrested in central Woolwich.

Much of the operations was centred around tobacco and alcohol, with 5,200 illegal cigarettes, cannabis, banned disinfectant that is toxic to wildlife and 400 litres of alcohol seized from an unlicensed business.

In addition a suspected HMO (House of Multiple Occupation) was discovered and a number of premises that could be ignoring planning requirements.

When it comes to HMOs councils can now fine £30,000 per office, take over rent collection and place levies on properties. However since those powers have been introduced Greenwich have been soft on offenders with a small number of fines – and those levied way below permitted levies.

Barely 15 per cent of suspected HMOs have registered as required three years after a 2017 deadlin. Part of that is Greenwich Departmental problems with landlords complaining of long delays and if other boroughs are anything to go by  part is due to some landlords deliberately ignoring rules on licensing knowing the chance of discovery is low, and in Greenwich at least based on recent cases fines will be minimal.

During the second lockdown a number of people also commented how some shops in Woolwich appeared to flout rules and remain open.