Dogs sniff out thousands of illegal cigarettes in raid

Thousands of illegal cigarettes were seized as part of a series of raidsacross North Tyneside.

Raids were carried out on Monday in a joint operation involving North Tyneside Council’s Trading Standards team and Northumbria Police using two specialist sniffer dogs.

The crime-busting canines, Yo-Yo and Scamp, are trained to sniff outtobacco which has been hidden in ceilings, behind panels and underfloorboards.

In one raid 4,800 illegal cigarettes, worth around £2,000, were seized.

The cigarettes did not show the required information, such as whether thetobacco was ‘Duty Paid’ or the required health warnings. Some of thecigarettes were also suspected of being counterfeit.

Yo-Yo found illegal cigarettes in a hold-all and a handbag on the floorbehind the premises’ counter and in a counter drawer, which alsocontained cash. The money was seized under the Proceeds ofCrime Act.

The dog then sniffed out two sleeves of cigarette packs, each containing200 illegal cigarettes that were hidden in the arms of a jacket hanging in aback room.