Sniffer dogs smoke out 10,000 illegal cigarettes
TWO sniffer dogs uncovered 10,000 illegal cigarettes during a series of raids in the East End.
The pair, Levi and Tyler, found stashes in several premises with Tower Hamlets Trading Standards officers and the police.
It was the first time sniffer dogs had been used for this purpose in the borough.
More than ten kilograms of illegal shisha and hand rolling tobacco were also seized.
Shops and self storage units were targeted using information gathered over weeks and months.
You may also want to watch:
Colin Perrins, Trading Standards and Environmental Health chief, said: “People often don’t realise the dangers of illegal cigarettes. Illegal tobacco products often contain substances like rat poison and haven’t been subject to the necessary checks.”
Some 284 premises in the borough have been visited since 2009, bringing in nearly 200,000 illegal cigarettes and 13 kilograms of illegal hand rolling tobacco.
Most Read
- 1 Murder arrest after woman stabbed to death in Whitechapel this morning
- 2 Fury as family homes vanish when Isle of Dogs landlord converts to bedsits
- 3 Lovely Day for Aldgate School picked to sing on Billy Ocean's new single
- 4 Man sentenced after teenage boy groomed on Snapchat to sell heroin
- 5 Police e-fit expert retiring after 15 years at Bethnal Green
- 6 Two men arrested after police officers assaulted in Limehouse rave
- 7 Leyton Orient announce partnership with Hartford Athletic
- 8 Covid vaccination hub opening in Westfield next week
- 9 Police hunt after stabbing in Cable Street: One man hurt
- 10 'Racist consultation' protest rejected on Tower Hamlets street closures as Labour sticks to its manifesto
Fines from prosecutions brought in �20,000 last year.
Anyone with information about the illegal importation of tobacco should call HM Revenue and Customs hotline on 0800 59 5000.
Those who suspect they have been the victim of an illegal trader should call 020 7364 5008 or go to tradingstandards@towerhamlets.gov.uk.
