DOGS have helped sniff out nearly 6,000 illegal cigarettes and 21,000 grams of shisha tobacco in Bicester, Oxford and Banbury.
The specially trained dogs took part in an operation across the county last week.
Cooper and Yoyo accompanied officers from Oxfordshire County Council during visits to the county areas.
Premises were targeted based on prior intelligence, with 6,000 illegal cigarettes – many suspected of being counterfeit – being seized from a vehicle linked to one shop and over 21,000 grams of shisha tobacco from another.
The operation took place under Operation CeCe, a national trading standards campaign in partnership with HMRC, to tackle illegal tobacco.
Enquiries and investigations remain ongoing with the seized products being fully assessed for compliance.
Jody Kerman, the county council’s head of trading standards, said: “This was a successful operation and forms part of Oxfordshire County Council’s ongoing strategy to identify and disrupt the supply of illegal tobacco.
READ MORE: Animals seriously hurt by litter left on Oxford's Port Meadow
“Criminals dealing in illegal tobacco provide a cheap source of supply that can easily end up in the hands of young people whose developing lungs are particularly sensitive to the harm tobacco causes.
“It also encourages adults to carry on smoking, when giving up would dramatically improve their health and wealth.”
Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here