Illegal tobacco stash discovered in shop’s secret drawer

A sniffer dog found stashes of illegal tobacco in a secret drawer under a shop counter during an operation led by Aberdeen City Council’s trading standards team earlier this week.

According to local reports, the haul, containing illegal cigarettes and shisha tobacco, was found after Boo, the two-and-a-half year-old lab cross wire haired pointer, indicated to her handler there was tobacco at the location. 

The operation was part of a campaign targeting sales of illegal tobacco where trading standards officers are checking shops to ensure they are complying with the laws surrounding the sales of tobacco.  

Aberdeen City Council trading standards manager Graeme Paton said: “Those involved in the trade in illegal tobacco find weird and wonderful ways of hiding their stocks. This was just one more example to add to what we’ve found previously in Aberdeen and Boo did a fantastic job finding the tobacco which was hidden away in a secret drawer under the shop counter. 

“People might think they are getting a bargain buying tobacco from under the counter in a shop or via social media, and that it does no harm. But they probably don’t realise the connections between illegal tobacco and organised crime and the proceeds are used to fund other illegal activities such as people smuggling and drug dealing. 

“We’d ask people not to buy illegal tobacco and report sales of it to us in confidence so we can make a real difference to help keep more illegal tobacco off the streets – we need to keep the pressure up on those who continue to sell it.”

The sale of illegal tobacco is associated with organised criminals who make money from selling counterfeit and non-duty paid tobacco to fund other illegal activities.