Kentish Express Ashford & District
Dogs help sniff out illegal cigarettes in crackdown
Tobacco products were seized from six different unidentified premises in Ashford following a crackdown and awareness campaign on illicit items.
Cigarettes as well as rolling tobacco were confiscated by Kent County Council (KCC) Trading Standards officers in Ashford with support from police officers and two sniffer dogs, over four days last week.
Some items were non-duty paid – smuggled in without being declared – and others were illegal products, deemed to be even more dangerous than normal, legal tobacco.
These potentially present a greater fire risk and their contents may not be as assumed, for example, containing extra contaminants.
Trading Standards co-ordinated the Illegal Tobacco Roadshow in Ashford using funding secured through KCC Public Health, which saw the roadshow trailer park up in different locations around the town.
Oliver Jewell, principal Trading Standards officer, said: “Visits to retail premises were carried out with the assistance of tobacco detection dogs on four days and on each day the team seized illegal products from the shelves.
“Sales of illegal tobacco are often co-ordinated by organised gangs with little concern to who they sell to.
“As a result, premises selling illegal tobacco are often linked to sales to young people, because not only do they not care who they sell to, but the low prices they sell tobacco for make the cigarettes affordable at pocket money prices.
“Working on the trailer were colleagues from the Stop Smoking team who took details of anyone who wanted to make a quit attempt.
“Price is one of the biggest deterrents to smoking and a major factor in motivating smokers to quit.
“Illegal tobacco sold at less than half the UK legal prices undermines this strategy and dissuades would-be quitters from making a concerted attempt.”
The public were able to meet the dogs and watch demonstrations with the dog handler on Saturday, while Trading Standards officers answered questions and warned about the dangers of illegal tobacco.
Trading Standards have also arranged for two theatre productions to visit primary and secondary schools in Ashford to educate on the dangers of smoking.
Due to the ongoing investigations, KCC Trading Standard declined to identify the premises visited and quantities involved.
To provide information on premises that might be selling illegal tobacco in the county phone the anonymous hotline on 0300 999 0000.