Illegal cigarettes sniffed out in Reading
Trading standards use dogs to find illegal tobacco products
More than 36,000 illegal cigarettes have been recovered with the help of sniffer dogs in Reading.
The illegal products were seized during trading standards visits to shops along the Oxford Road.
Sniffer dogs YoYo and Cooper successfully found the cigarettes, despite failed attempts by some shops to put the dogs off the scent, including using electro magnets, hydraulic lifts and spices.
Ruth McEwan, the Council’s Lead Councillor for Regulatory Services, which includes Trading Standards, said:
“The detection dogs can find tobacco and cigarettes hidden in the most unlikely places. Offenders need to know that they will face consequences if they choose to deal in these illegal products. Hopefully, it will also make traders think twice about stocking these products.
“Those involved in dealing in illegal tobacco may be encouraging people, including children, to smoke by providing a cheap source of cigarettes and tobacco.”
To report sources of illegal tobacco, contact the Illegal Tobacco Hotline on 0300 999 6 999 (information can be left anonymously).