GANGS DITCHING DRUGS FOR DOGS

Unhealthy pups being sold at sky-high prices

LIP-SMACKIN’ Lottie Moss looks scarily sexy in a strapless red PVC dress for Halloween.

She slapped on scarlet lippy and slipped into the hot Prettylittlething number for a spooky photoshoot.

Lottie, 23, is plugging the brand’s Halloween collection.

ORGANISED crime gangs are ditching drugs for a multi-million-pound illegal trade in puppies.

The crews are breeding unhealthy dogs in squalid conditions in Ireland then shipping them to the UK for sale at sky-high prices.

Chief Supt Mike Flynn, from the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said: “To me it’s the new drugs.

“We are aware of 20 such transporters doing this. One of them does 120 dogs a week.

“If you take the average price of £1,875 for a pup in Great Britain that individual has criminal proceeds of almost £16million a year.”

Investigators reckon pet trafficking is worth £150m annually and appeals to criminals as it does not carry the same jail risk as drugs.

Trade

Northern Ireland’s agriculture and environment minister Edwin Poots, who said 10 springer spaniel puppies had been intercepted at Northern Irish ports, branded the trade “abhorrent” and ordered an investigation.

He said: “While my officials take all the steps they can, in conjunction with other agencies, to verify details of all notified pup movements it is not possible nor practical to stop every vehicle.”

He advised would-be dog owners to only buy from licensed breeders.

Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals boss Brendan Mullan said its investigators had evidence of traffickers sourcing puppies from Northern Ireland and the Republic.