Detection dog Boo has added yet another successful mission on his list of achievements after finding a stash of illegal tobacco at an Aberdeen shop.
The haul of illegal cigarettes and shisha tobacco was discovered hidden under a counter during a search by Aberdeen City Council’s trading standards team.
It’s part of a campaign targeting sales of illegal tobacco, with officers checking shops to ensure they are complying with the laws surrounding the sales of the substance.
Boo, a German Wirehaired Pointer Labrador, along with springer spaniel Rosie, were praised for doing a “fantastic job” at locating the stash and pointing it to their handlers.
It comes just four weeks after Boo helped uncover 18,000 illegal cigarettes at a shop in Fraserburgh – making the largest ever seizure.
Trading standards manager Graeme Paton said: “Those involved in the trade in illegal tobacco find weird and wonderful ways of hiding their stocks.
“This was just one more example to add to what we’ve found previously in Aberdeen and Boo did a fantastic job finding the tobacco which was hidden away in a secret drawer under the shop counter.”
Keeping illegal tobacco off the streets
The so-called “cheap fags” are often very well hidden away in shops, but can also be sold in workplaces and pubs, as well as on the street, from houses, or online.
Officers have stressed sales of illegal tobacco are associated with organised criminals who make money from selling counterfeit and non-duty paid tobacco to fund other illegal activities.
Mr Paton added: “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 and the proceeds are used to fund other illegal activities such as people smuggling and drug dealing.
“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.”
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