Dogs sniff out illegal tobacco haul worth thousands in Smethwick
Sniffer dogs helped uncover thousands of cigarettes and hundreds of kilos of tobacco on three raids on shops in Smethwick.
Sandwell Council's trading standards team, working with police and immigration officers, used the special dogs on the operation, which follows other successful raids in recent months.
Officers found 27,100 cigarettes and 278.5kg of hand-rolling tobacco with a retail worth in excess of £22,000.
Councillor Darren Cooper, leader of Sandwell Council, said: "This is vital work because we are determined to search out people selling illegal cigarettes and tobacco.
"It is important to do this work because sometimes the tobacco products are dangerous and should not be used and also because it is unfair to other traders if these people are selling sub-standard products at a reduced rate."
The latest haul comes as as part of a council crackdown which has seen seven traders successfully prosecuted in the borough.
One was forced to pay out £6,000 while another was given a 12-week prison sentence suspended for 18 months.
Another was also given a 12-month community order and ordered to carry out 180-hours of unpaid work.
Eight licensing reviews have been requested by trading standards officers against shopkeepers for stocking illegal and counterfeit tobacco.
