LONDON: A total of 30,532 counterfeit cigarettes and 5kg of tobacco were found using sniffer dogs in illegal tobacco hotspots in Wolverhampton. The dogs managed to help uncover cigarettes stored in some unusual places, including hidden underneath a shelving unit that had a concealed area secured by a powerful electro magnet.
In December, shops in the Whitmore Reans area of the city were raided where police uncovered more than 100 packets of cigarettes buried beneath fruit and vegetables at one store.
Trading standards officers said the tobacco is ‘highly likely’ to have been illegally imported and may be fake. A further search of the premises unearthed more than 3kg of illicit snuff packed into transparent bags and concealed under a pile of onions at the front of the store.
