These pups have managed to remove one million cigarettes from sale in the capital between April 2023 and March this year, according to new figures from London Trading Standards
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Sniffer dogs used by police to detect counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco
Specially-trained sniffer dogs have been detecting dangerous illegal and fake tobacco and taking it out of circulation.
New figures from London Trading Standards showed the specially-trained pups have managed to remove one million cigarettes from sale in the capital between April 2023 and March this year. These dogs are vital in discovering hidden storage compartments that criminals use to hide their supply of counterfeit tobacco.
The figures were released to The Mirror as part of London Trading Standards Week 2024, which starts today. This is an annual event that features updates on the work and impact being made across the region.
Overall, operation CeCe, the National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with HMRC, has removed 19 million illegal cigarettes and 5,103kg of hand-rolling tobacco in 2023-24 and taken £27.2 million pounds worth of illicit tobacco off the market since it launched in 2021. Lord Michael Bichard, chair, National Trading Standards, said: “The trade in illegal tobacco harms local communities and affects honest businesses operating within the law.”
But the news comes after statistics released last month by Marlboro maker Philip Morris International found one in four cigarettes smoked in the UK is now contraband or counterfeit. Within the UK, 11 out of 12 UK regions reported an increase in illicit tobacco consumption compared with the previous year, with this only falling in the North East.
More than a quarter were found to be illicit in London, with a third of shopkeepers in the city believing the black-market trade in illegal cigarettes was funding serious and organised crime there in separate research by Philip Morris. Thanks to an increase in dedicated funding, Trading Standards officers in London will be increasing targeted operations to catch those selling tobacco under the counter using the sniffer dogs.
The cost of living crisis was seen as a contributing factor in fake tobacco, with half of shopkeepers citing the demand for cheaper products as factors behind this. On average, a packet of 20 genuine cigarettes costs £15.67. The government is aiming to make Britain smoke-free by 2030, and the price of cigarettes is expected to continue to increase.
Illicit cigarettes pose several dangers. They have been known to contain a mixture of lethal substance well in excess of the toxins found in legitimate versions of the products.
They can also pose a greater fire risk than genuine cigarettes because it is unlikely that they comply with fire safety standards. Signs a packet of cigarettes is fake include spelling mistakes, blurred or discoloured packaging and suspiciously The shopkeeper survey found the majority wanted stronger law enforcement and harsher penalties for offending retailers.
