Illegal vapes and tobacco seized

Detection dogs do their duty

Specialist detection dogs have helped police and Trading Standards seized £166,000 worth of suspected illegal tobacco and vapes in South Devon.

The dogs can sniff out even small amounts of tobacco, and in this case led to more than 18,000 suspected illegal tobacco products and 2,000 illegal vapes being taken off the streets from a rural location in South Hams.

The haul included suspected counterfeit products, non-duty paid tobacco products and non-UK compliant vapes.

Inspector Ben Shardlow, who heads neighbourhood police teams in South Hams, said: “These illegal goods do not go through regulated safety testing and quality control procedures like the legal products that are sold in the UK do, which means we don’t know what’s in them.

Carrying out this proactive warrant shows great partnership working and has resulted in identifying a significant amount of illegal goods. It is positive we were able to remove a large amount from the streets and circulation."

Councillor Rufus Gilbert, Devon County Council’s cabinet member for trading standards, said: “The service uses detection dogs during operations, so regardless of where it is hidden, in a storage container or retail premises, the dogs have the ability to sniff out even small quantities of tobacco that are hidden from view.”

“Retail outlets that sell counterfeit and illicit tobacco are big business and these shops can undercut other local general stores who are trying to operate legally during difficult economic conditions.

"Because the tobacco is sold at pocket money prices by criminals who are not interested in asking for proof of age, it encourages children and young people to start smoking. Illegal tobacco products also present a genuine health risk above and beyond that of legal tobacco, as they aren’t subject to the same quality control checks and are often found to contain high level of contaminates.”