Trading Standards officers in South Tyneside have recently seized thousands of illegal cigarettes and tobacco from local shops, the council reported on Thursday (May 21).
The seizures followed a number of tip offs from the public and were made during raids to premises in Jarrow and Hebburn.
More than 9,000 illegal cigarettes and around 5kg of hand rolling tobacco, with a combined street value of more than £10,000 were seized from the two retailers, as part of a major crackdown.
The operation formed part of Operation Cece - a UK wide initiative led by Trading Standards in partnership with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), aimed at tackling the sale of illicit tobacco products.
Officers from South Tyneside Council's Trading Standards Service carried out enforcement visits assisted by colleagues from the North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (NEROCU).
They were also joined by specialist sniffer dog Rosie, a two year old springer spaniel trained to detect concealed tobacco products.
Councillor Karen Pittuck, Lead Member for Highways, Neighbourhoods and Community Safety said: "This was a really successful operation resulting in significant seizures.
"It is important to remember that the sale of illegal tobacco is not a victimless crime. Dealers often target children and young people, putting them at risk of developing a harmful addiction.
"It also undermines legitimate businesses, puts cheap and unregulated products into our communities and is often linked to organised criminal activity.
"This operation shows how seriously we take reports from residents and businesses and how effective partnership working can be. I would encourage anyone with concerns about the sale of illegal tobacco to continue to report it so we can take action."
Illicit tobacco refers to any tobacco products sold illegally in the UK. This includes smuggled genuine products, counterfeit or fake tobacco, and duty free cigarettes sold unlawfully on the black market.
NEROCU Detective Sergeant Neil Lovat, said: "This has been yet another powerful display of partnership working resulting in the large seizure of illegal items that pose a serious risk to the public and our North East communities.
"I want to thank everyone involved for their work ensuring the safety of the public, including children, by removing these unregulated and dangerous items from circulation."
South Tyneside Trading Standards continues to act on intelligence and information from the public as part of its ongoing work to disrupt illegal trading and protect communities.