Hidey-hole stashes for illicit cigarettes uncovered by sniffer dogs Boo and Rosie

Over 250 illegal tobacco products have been seized in Aberdeen thanks to a pair of keen-nosed dogs named Boo and Rosie.

225 packs of illegal cigarettes, 30 packs of counterfeit hand rolling tobacco and 29 illegal vapes have been confiscated from shops in Aberdeen.

They were discovered thanks to an Aberdeen City Council Trading Standards operation supported by Police Scotland.

Ongoing UK-wide operation CECE was set up in 2021 to tackle the sale of illegal tobacco products at the retail level.

But, with cunning convenience shop owners taking to hiding the counterfeit goods in “hidey-holes” and hidden cupboards, the organisations have called in some specialist four-legged help.

They were supported by Boo, a four-year-old lab cross wire haired pointer, and Rosie, a two-year-old springer spaniel – who are specially trained for the task.

Despite the common notion that the sale of these products are harmless, Trading Standards have urged people to keep an eye out for the counterfeit goods, which are said to be linked to drug dealing and even people smuggling operations.

Illegal tobacco linked with people smuggling and drugs

Together, they helped to uncover a large number of the illegal goods in the Granite City to keep the products off the streets.

Graeme Paton, Aberdeen City Council Trading Standards manager, said: “People might think they are getting a bargain buying tobacco from under the counter in a shop or via social media, and that it does no harm.

“But they probably don’t realise the connections between illegal tobacco and organised crime.

“The proceeds are used to fund other illegal activities, such as people smuggling and drug dealing.

“Retailers involved in the trade in illegal tobacco are very sneaky at hiding their stocks, but they should be aware that we are aware of their tricks.

“Boo and Rosie are specially trained to find tobacco products and their assistance is invaluable to enable us to find tobacco products that would not be visible during an inspection.

“We’d ask people not to buy illegal tobacco and report sales of it to us in confidence so we can make a real difference to help keep more illegal tobacco off the streets.

“We need to keep the pressure up on those who continue to sell it.”

How to spot counterfeit cigarettes

Of the products seized, the cigarettes were a mixture of non-duty paid, counterfeit, and illicit or cheap whites.

The whites and counterfeit product are not ‘reduced ignition propensity cigarettes’ which means they don’t have the special bands which restrict oxygen access to the burning end of the cigarette, causing the cigarette to go out if not ‘puffed’ by the smoker.

This reduces the risk of fires from cigarettes left burning and unattended.

The most common examples of what is defined as illegal tobacco are:

• Counterfeits of well-known brands. You might thing you’re getting the genuine article but what you get is an inferior fake.
• Cheap genuine tobacco smuggled into the UK with no-duty paid. These packages are often in foreign languages and do not have the health safety warnings that are required in the UK.
• ‘Cheap whites’ which are mass produced in one country and smuggled into another.

All cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco sold in the UK should be in standardised packaging and come with both written and pictorial health warnings.

All text should be in English.

People can report illegal tobacco and cigarettes to Trading Standards via tradingstandards@aberdeencity.gov.uk or anonymously on 01224 522433.