Illicit tobacco sniffed out in Bury

Specially trained tobacco detection dogs have sniffed out 2.4kg of illicit hand rolling tobacco and 6,840 cigarettes worth £5,000.

They accompanied officers from the police, trading standards and licensing who targeted eight shops after receiving tip-offs from the public.

Sniffer dog Ted, provided by Wagtail UK, helped detect the concealed stashes of tobacco which were seized from three shops (in Ainsworth, Radcliffe and Tottington) pending further investigations. The seizure included counterfeit products, non-duty paid products and incorrectly labelled products which cannot be legally sold in the UK.

During their visits, the teams also found items of out-of-date food and beer without English or allergen labelling. Further enforcement action is planned.

Enforcement officers are reminding retailers they are watching and will take action against those selling illegal tobacco.

Buyers, meanwhile, are reminded of the harm their ‘cheap’ purchases cause to the local community, including bringing crime into neighbourhoods.

Ben Thomson, public protection manager at Bury Council, said: “The detection dogs can find tobacco and cigarettes even if hidden in the most unlikely places. Those dealing in illegal tobacco may be encouraging people, including children, to smoke by providing a cheap source. Offenders need to know that they will face consequences if they choose to deal in these illegal products.”

Councillor Charlotte Morris, cabinet member for culture and the economy, added: “This is great work by our teams at the council and the police to reduce the supply of and demand for cheap illegal tobacco.

“Its low price and easy availability encourage people to keep smoking, and children and young people are often targeted by unscrupulous traders. This enforcement action is therefore welcomed.

“Further action is planned in the Bury area and we’ll be bringing these fantastic sniffer dogs with us to hunt out these products, no matter how well hidden. The council will also be considering reviewing the licences of the premises caught selling illegal tobacco.”

The sale of illegal tobacco can be reported anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or at keep-it-out.co.uk.

ENDS

Press release issued: 24 March 2022.

Picture: Sniffer dog Ted in action.

Notes to editors:

The Keep It Out campaign is part of the Partnership’s illicit tobacco programme, which you can read more about in the Greater Manchester Making Smoking History strategy.

More information on the campaign can be found at https://keep-it-out.co.uk/ and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.