Boo tobacco dog Trading Standards
Governance/Legal/Democratic

Boo the dog gives illegal tobacco traders a fright

A dog named Boo gave organised crime a bit of a fright recently when she helped find stashes of illicit tobacco in a joint operation between East Ayrshire Trading Standards and Police Scotland. 

Her finely tuned nose helped officers with the successful seizure of 12,820 cigarettes and 794 packs of hand rolling tobacco from two different businesses in Kilmarnock. 

The operation was led by Trading Standards who brought in specialist sniffer dog Boo, a Labrador/German Wirehaired Pointer Cross bitch, who already has an extensive track record in sniffing out counterfeit tobacco products thanks to her well educated nose!  

Councillor Jim McMahon, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, East Ayrshire Council  said: 

“Thanks to the vigilance of members of the public, coupled with intelligence from various sources, we were able to pinpoint the premises and vehicles being used to store the illicit tobacco and carry out visits accompanied by our colleagues in Police Scotland. 

 “As always Boo proved her worth, quickly finding the products we were after, even though most of them had been hidden and stored in vehicles. 

 “This action is another important step in our ongoing bid to protect both businesses and the public from the hazards presented by this illicit trade.  

 “The problem with illicit tobacco products goes beyond selling cheap cigarettes. The people involved in the supply of these products are involved in organised crime. They use the proceeds to fund further crimes including the smuggling of weapons, drugs, and human beings across the globe. The businesses they operate are a blight on High Streets throughout the country. 

“What they’re doing has a huge financial effect on the country, making life harder for genuine, law abiding businesses by undercutting their prices and avoiding paying tax which could be used to fund vital public services. 

“And for the people who choose to buy them, while smoking anything is already dangerous enough, they’re putting their health at much greater risk because there’s no telling what cheap or hazardous ingredients have been used. 

“We hope that these most recent seizures will serve as a message to any businesses operating in East Ayrshire who are involved in the supply of illicit tobacco - our Trading Standards team will use their powers to target these businesses and cause as much disruption to their operations as possible. 

“While we can be satisfied that the culprits in this crime have been caught this time, and they will face punishment, we know that it’s an ongoing issue. And we can’t stress enough how grateful we are to all those whose vigilance and care in reporting suspicions and suppling information to our teams, which is vital to our success.  

“In East Ayrshire we pride ourselves in working together with partner organisations, our businesses and communities to boost wellbeing and prosperity for all, building wealth in the community.  The success of this latest mission is proof that this partnership approach works very effectively to improve life and safety for all.” 

Inspector Stuart Warboys, East Ayrshire Locality Policing added:

“We will continue to work closely with our colleagues in Trading Standards to target areas of concern and stop the illegal sale of illicit goods.

"This operation highlights our commitment to protect the public, support our business community, and act against those involved in organised crime.

"I would encourage those with information regarding illegal cigarettes and tobacco to contact Police Scotland on 101, contact Trading Standards., or anonymously via CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111”

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