Sniffer dog uncovers hidden illegal tobacco in Hull

Cooper the dog found the hidden tobacco at the bottom of a wheelie bin

A sniffer dog has uncovered thousands of hidden counterfeit cigarettes, tobacco pouches and vapes, a council said.

Detection dog Cooper was used by Trading Standards officers and police at six locations across Hull.

Illegal products were found at five of the sites, as well as hidden in a car.

In one raid, a secret compartment holding tobacco, vapes and more than 21,000 cigarettes was discovered in the bottom of a wheelie bin.

Hull City Council Trading Standards officer Chris Wilson described the operation as a "great piece of partnership work".

"Our public protection team and the police are very skilled at using their knowledge and intelligence supplied to them to identify sources of illicit tobacco," he said.

"But working with a detection dog is an added tool for identifying extremely unusual and well-concealed hiding places which would be impossible to find without a dog's sensitive nose."

Mr Wilson added that counterfeit tobacco was not a victimless crime, as the low price prevented people from quitting and attracted children and young people.

The city council said that in 2023, a total of 1,053,540 cigarettes, 5,312 packs of tobacco and 26,868 vapes were recovered.

So far in 2024, a total of 423,980 cigarettes, 3,734 packs of tobacco and 12,132 vapes have been found.