Canine super-sleuths help take almost £40k of illegal tobacco off the streets
More than £38,000 in smuggled tobacco has been discovered in hidden stashes across Sandwell.
Sniffer dogs Phoebe and Scamp uncovered the illicit cigarettes and rolling tobacco while visiting seven premises across the borough.
As part of the Safer 6 campaign, trading standards and police officers seized around 69,500 cigarettes and more than 17.4 kilograms of hand rolling tobacco as part of the one-day operation earlier this week.
Trading standards officers will now carry out interviews to decide what action to take, including possible prosecution.
Councillor Paul Moore, Sandwell Council's member in charge of trading standards, said: "Tobacco detection dogs have become valued members of the team, but not so popular with those who sell illegal or counterfeit tobacco.
See also: 20,000 illegal cigarettes seized by Wolverhampton officers.
"Those involved in dealing in illegal tobacco may be encouraging people, including children, to smoke by providing a cheap source.
"As well as the obvious health risks related to smoking counterfeit cigarettes they have also been found to contain anything from asbestos to rat droppings."
This operation is the second such success Sandwell's trading standards team has had in just over a month.
That haul included around 63,400 cigarettes, 130 packets of tobacco and 25 kilograms of shisha tobacco.
