Sniffer dogs find £20,000 illegal tobacco stash in Plymouth
SNIFFER dogs found nearly £20,000 of illegal tobacco during a series of raids.
Trading Standards officers were helped by the specially trained detector dogs to locate the haul during an operation at different addresses aross the city.
Plymouth City Council's Trading Standards team led the two-day operation which saw dogs from Wagtail Ltd UK search around 15 different locations, including shops, wholesale units and storage facilities.
Richard Green, senior trading standards officer, said investigators had identified a number of premises and at an undisclosed Estover address the dogs uncovered 15 bin bags full of rolling tobacco in around 3,000 pouches on which duty had not been paid. The stash has an estimated value of £19,500.
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Due to the size of the haul, their investigation has now been handed to HM Revenue and Customs.
The handlers and dogs from Wagtail Ltd UK are used by a number of councils and trading standards department across the UK as well as the UK Border Agency. Specialist dog handler Rhiannon Atkin said the dogs were trained to sniff out a range of different items, including cash, explosives and drugs.
The dogs are the latest weapon in the fight to cut down on contraband tobacco in the city. It is estimated people in Plymouth spend up to £25,000 every day on illegal tobacco, creating a cheap source for children and adults who would not otherwise be able to afford to smoke.
Councillor Brian Vincent, cabinet member for the environment, said: "Tobacco is taxed deliberately as a way of discouraging people from ever starting to smoke and to encourage smokers to quit. Tackling smoking is one of the most effective ways of ensuring people in our city can lead as healthy a life as possible."
Senior trading standards officer Mr Green added: "There are some considerably sophisticated operations behind these channels and we know that organised crime groups are involved in the distribution illegal tobacco.
"Trading Standards are looking at this from a health agenda really. Tobacco is the single biggest cause of preventable death and cheap tobacco is preventing people from quitting.
"We're very, very happy about such a large seizure. In addition to the 15 bin bags, we also seized 31 pouches of counterfeit tobacco."
He said tobacco smugglers could face fines or even jail, depending on the amount seized.
Anyone who has any information about illegal tobacco can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
Wagtail Ltd UK was set up in 2003 by Collin Singer, a former Royal Air Force Police Provost Marshal's Dog Inspector. It also includes body detection dogs as well as conservation dogs which help detect protected species such as Pine Martens, Great Crested Newts and Natter Jack Toads.
Comments
by CharlieDodd
Tuesday, October 16 2012, 1:50AM
“Must have been a tipoff”
by mcspredder
Monday, October 15 2012, 7:49PM
“It must take some kind of training to teach a dog to distinguish between legal and illegal baccy!”
by DWM123
Monday, October 15 2012, 7:30PM
“Sorry to hear these latter day Robin Hoods have lost out. Tobacco is expensive to raise tax, the health issue is just a smokescreen(sic).”
by olddogbreath
Monday, October 15 2012, 6:13PM
“There are not many people around who actually buy fags from shops these days are there? All the people I seem to meet get them from a 'friend'”
by bob63
Monday, October 15 2012, 5:05PM
“They should legalise tobacco and take it out of the hands of criminals!”
by Tony248
Monday, October 15 2012, 4:31PM
“I think you have perhaps misread the Councillor's comment, Shoto. He is explaining and praising the operation, not criticising it.
Not that it concerns me, I've never smoked.”
by trudie2010
Monday, October 15 2012, 10:21AM
“We should see this more often, why should criminals get to make money out of desperate people. Well done dogs.”
by Shoto45
Monday, October 15 2012, 10:08AM
“Wot a load of B....ks from Councillor Brian Vincent.." taxed deliiberatly to discourage people." One: if you break the law you have to pay the penalty. Two: the profit made is not taxed. Three: more than likely the persons involved are claiming some sort of benefit as well. Stop climbing on the band wagon Councillor & get your priorities right. Well done by the way to our 4 legged friends.”