Detection dog Boo helps seize illicit tobacco and vapes
Illicit tobacco and illegal vapes at a street value of almost £3,300 have been seized from a High Street premises in Falkirk this week (10 February), during a joint operation conducted by Falkirk Council's Trading Standards team, Police Scotland, and the Falkirk Town Centre Community Policing Team.
With the help of tobacco detection dog Boo, officers recovered 152 packets of cigarettes (3,040 sticks), 13 pouches of hand-rolling tobacco, and 60 illegal vapes from concealed locations.
The illicit tobacco will be referred to HMRC, which can impose fines of up to £10,000, while the illegal vapes will be reported to the procurator fiscal.
Councillor Stacey Devine, spokesperson for Public Protection, said:
This operation is a great example of partnerships working to tackle the ongoing sale of illicit tobacco and illegal vapes in our community. Thanks to the efforts of our officers, along with the sharp nose of tobacco detection dog Boo, we’ve been able to remove these harmful products from circulation.We remain committed to protecting the public and urge people to continue reporting suspicious activity to help us crack down on illegal sales.
The operation was a part of Operation CeCe, an ongoing nationwide initiative since 2021 to fight against the sale of illicit tobacco products.
Residents are encouraged to continue reporting counterfeit and illicit tobacco to Trading Standards using the email address below.